Just For a Little Bit (On Hold)

13

No one POV

"Hope, wait" Alex rushes, grabbing her arm. Hope immediately pulls away, "Don't touch me, Alex". "Hope, please" she continues, with pleading eyes. Hope shakes her head, "No. You... you know I have a girlfriend. Why the fuck would you do that?". Alex gulps, "W-why are you acting like this?". Hope let's out a scoff like chuckle. "Like what?" Hope asks.

"Like you don't... feel it" Alex answers, like it's obvious. "Feel what?" Hope continues. "What we have, Hope. I... I really like you, and... I know you like me, too" Alex says. Hope's eyebrows furrow, "I don't feel... anything like that for you. My heart is with Josie, ok? So, stop being fucking delusional, Alexa". Alex's eyes immediately start to water at the name.

"A-alexa?" Alex mutters. Hope just stares at her. She doesn't know what to do, so she doesn't do anything. She's just... so confused right now. Not about whether she likes Alex or Josie, because she knows who she likes. She's confused on why Alex would think, even for a split second, that she has any type of romantic feelings for her.

"So, all the time we've spent together, since we met... meant nothing to you, Hope?" she asks, after wiping her tears. "I didn't say that, Alex. It meant a lot to me... all of it, but I don't have feelings for you" Hope replies, "At least not any like that". Alex nods a bit. She feels... heartbroken. Hope sighs. "I have to go" she tells her, before leaving, for real this time.

"Shit" Alex groans, as she watches Hope walk away. She just ruined her only chance, and now... she is gonna be mad. She takes a deep breath as she sits back at the dock. Meanwhile, Hope is calling Josie; her girlfriend. Though, Josie is still watching Alex. And with a burning... anger. She's furious, and her blood is literally boiling.

Though, she feels her phone vibrating, so she pulls it out. The anger she's feeling starts to subside when she reads the contact name. She carefully, and quietly starts walking away, and when she feels like Alex won't be able to hear her, she answers, "Hello?". "Hey, Jo. Where are you, love?" Hope says.

She wants to tell her where she is, but... she's too stubborn and Hope would probably get mad at her for 'spying'. "Why?" she asks. Hope was quiet for a couple seconds, "Because something just happened, and I... I really need you here". "Please, Jo" she continues, speaking in a low, almost pleading, tone. She's desperate, but she doesn't want Josie to know that. Though, she does.

She can hear how desperate Hope is. "I'm at the mill" she mutters, since it's technically not a lie. She's just arrived. Hope's face goes pale at Jo's words. She opened her mouth to speak, but words don't come out. Or at least not the ones she wanted to. "Oh, um... I-I was just over there" she says. "Mmm. Doing what?" Josie asks, curious as to what she'll say.

Will she lie, or tell the truth? Hope swallows thickly, "Can you meet me in the cafeteria?". Josie's jaw clenches. "Leave me alone, Hope" she says, before hanging up. Hope takes a deep breath, before putting her phone away, then turning back around. In hopes that she won't run into Alex, she walks all the way to the mill.

"Jo" she calls, walking inside. She looks around, but doesn't see her. "Hm?" she hears, from upstairs. "Can I come up?" she asks, walking towards the stairs. Josie was quiet for a bit. "If you want to" she answers, even though she wants her to. She hopes Hope want to come up. She really wants to be with her right now.

So, she does. She sees Josie sitting on a beanbag, with a book in her hands. Her hair is down, and... she looks really pretty. "Hi" Hope says, lowly. Josie just stares at her. It makes Hope nervous. So fucking nervous, but she can't... she can't do anything about it. "Mind if I sit next to you?" she asks, slowly walking closer.

Instead of saying anything, Josie scoots over a bit, making space for the aurburnette she's grown to... you know. Hope sits, "What're you reading?". That's one of the things Josie loves about Hope. She always seems to be... interested in what Josie's doing, and what she likes. Hope pays attention to everthing about her, and Josie can see it.

"The Picture of Dorian Gray" she answers. Hope smiles a little, because Josie's actually talking to her. But she knows that they have other... topics to talk about. "Um... I'm sorry about earlier" Hope says. Josie looks away, not wanting to talk about that, because she knows it'll only lead to Hope realizing... some things about her. "It's ok" she mumbles.

"Are you ok?" Hope asks. Josie nods, "I'm fine". "Can we not... talk about that?" Josie asks. "Uh, yea, sure. Whatever you want" Hope says. "So, have you just been reading?" she asks. Josie doesn't wanna lie, but she also doesn't want Hope to know the truth. She knows she has to tell her, though. "You said something happened. What happened?" she replies.

Hope looks away from her, but not because she's thinking of a lie. She looks away, because she's afraid. Afraid of what Josie might think happened. "Well, I was with Alex. We were at the dock, and I was watching the fish. Then, she... she kissed me, but I... I pushed her away, I promise" she tells her, looking into her eyes, so she knows she's telling the truth.

"I-I... thank you" Josie mutters. It kinda confuses Hope, but she doesn't question it. "Can I, um... can I tell you something?" Hope asks, "Something I have never told anyone else?". Josie nervously, and anxiously, nods. "I'm... I once shit my pants when I was 13" Hope tells her. Josie can't help but to burst out laughing, "Wait, are you serious?".

Hope nods, already knowing she's never gonna live this down. She regrets her decision, already. No, she wasn't gonna say that at first, but it isn't a lie. She's never tell Josie a lie, not matter what. She's already promised herself, and Josie, even though she technically never said it.
"Hope" Josie starts, giving her a look, saying she doesn't believe her.

"You don't have to believe me, but please, for my sake, don't ever repeat what I just told you. Faith'll tease me for the rest of my life, and we're immortal" Hope says. Josie can't help but to feel... she doesn't know. All she knows right now, is that she adores Hope. More than she's ever adored anyone, and that's saying something. "You're so... odd" she says.

It makes Hope let out a confused little laugh. She tilts her head a bit, "What do you mean?". Josie shrugs, "Nothing bad, you just... you're not like anyone I've ever met. You're so different, but... different isn't always bad". That makes Hope's heart swell with happiness. She slowly moves her hand towards Josie's face, making Jo's heart beat quickly.

After pushing a few loose strands of her back, and tucking them behind her ear, Hope let's her hand gently cup Josie's cheek. "Well... thank you for the compliment" she says, smiling. Josie chuckles, despite being extremely flustered right now, "Of course". Hope glances down at Jo's, now closed, book. "I didn't interrupt you, did I?" she asks.

Josie immediately shakes her head, "No, you didn't. I'm... really glad you came. I wasn't expecting you to". Hope stares at her for a moment. Well, her eyes. She doesn't understand how those... plain, brown eyes can make her feel so much. She's completely lost at words right now, and she doesn't know why. She feels... compelled.

If Josie were to ask her to do something right now... she'd do it. Quicker than a heart beat. Quicker than a snap of fingers. Quicker than the speed of light. Hope clears her throat as she pulls away, and looks away, "Would you like to read it to me for a while?". Josie's eyes light up, even though Hope isn't looking at her right now.

This' one of Josie's favorite books, and Hope's asking her to share that with her. "R-really?" she asks, making sure. Hope makes eye contact with her, again, "Yea. I mean, I'd love for you to, but... if you don't want to, you don't have to". "No, no, I... I'd really like to" Josie says, already going back to the first page. Hope chuckles as Josie gets comfortable.

They end up kinda cuddling. Josie's head is laying on Hope's chest, and Hope's arm is around her. Both girls know that this is the most comfortable they've ever been, but... they won't dare admit it. Hope smiles as Josie starts to read.