back to you//[a.k.]

★ 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞 ★

the night of your birthday party

"are you ready to go?" i asked josh. after hours of begging and asking him, josh agreed to go with me to my birthday party. he didn't seem enthused about it, but i wasn't surprised. things were still rocky between us and i was at loss with what to do at that point.

"yeah, i guess. let's go." he replied, grabbing his keys. we went out to his car and i put chloe and geoff's address into google maps. i had never been there before so i had no idea how to get there.

"i bet you're so excited to see your awsie bear, aren't you?" josh scoffed. i rolled my eyes and looked at him.

"can we not do this tonight? please?" i asked him. "if you wanted to be a dick, you could have just stayed home for christ sake."

"actually, i couldn't stay home, because you kept begging me to go to this stupid party with you." he reminded me. i looked down and frowned.

"well, excuse me for wanting my boyfriend to celebrate my birthday with me. i didn't know it was a crime to want you to spend time with me."

"yeah...i'm sorry."

that was the first time josh had apologized in weeks. i looked at him and his face had softened as he drove. for once he showed that he genuinely was sorry.

"it's-it's okay." i told him. josh shook his head.

"it's really not. i've been a dick nonstop for weeks. i don't know what's wrong with me and i'm sorry." he apologized again. i simply rested my hand on his leg.

"don't worry about it, baby. let's just have fun tonight." i said.

a few minutes later, gps said our destination was on the left. sure enough, geoff and chloe's apartment was on the left, and everyone's cars were parked on the street. josh parked his car and we got out, walking up.

we walked inside and up the stairs, as awsten had told me to. when we got upstairs, josh knocked on the door and it was quickly opened by geoff.

"hey, guys! come on in." he greeted us. he let us in and we walked inside but nobody was to be seen. "they're all in the living room, follow me."

we followed geoff into the living room and sure enough, everyone was in there sitting around. chloe, daphne, and jawn were on the couch with rory on chloe's lap. awsten, otto, and grace were on the floor, next to the couch.

"y/n!" chloe greeted me, walking to josh and i quickly. she gave me a half hug, as her other arm was holding rory. "happy birthday!"

"thank you so much!" i thanked her. she looked at josh.

"hello, josh." chloe greeted my boyfriend. he just gave her a small nod and waved.

"hey, y/n!" awsten came up to us and hugged me. "happy birthday."

"thanks, aws." i thanked him. he and josh just exchanged quiet nods. josh and i went to sit and talk with everyone else. they all wished me a happy birthday as well and from then the party began.

josh still didn't say much and as much as i understood, i wished that he was close with my friends like i was. it felt like i had two worlds. my world with josh and my world with my friends. and, as grateful as i was, i couldn't help but just hate it at the same time.

the party went by smoothly at first. we sat around and talked and played games and stuff like that. i enjoyed it a lot and i was having fun. but when it came to presents, that's when things went downhill.

"let's give y/n her presents!" chloe decided. they all nodded in agreement and i just smiled. i didn't expect presents, they didn't really have to do that.