anti-hero// joshler

39

word count: 325

"look. you shouldn't go. tyler... you're not okay. and thrusting yourself into this situation is not good for your mental state."

"you sound like a therapist."

"no. i sound like your friend. who cares for you. and loves you and is being raw with you."

"it'll be fine ashley."

"are you not gonna help me here?" they look at joshua, she's pissed off, i know.

"i'm going along with whatever he wants. this is his choice."

"jesus i know that-," she rolls her eyes and looks at me, "but tyler."

"it's better this way. i can say goodbye."

"you could say it on his obituary-."

"in person, ashley."

"tyler."

"jesus christ, ashley, come on. i know i'm not okay? okay. you don't think i know that. but i need to do this. i love him. i love my dad. if it was mom, fine i could skip that out. she's the one that hated me. and dad was too sick to defend me anymore. so i left. but it's dad. i need to. i need to pay my respects. i need to do this."

"okay.. t.. i understand."

"thank you.."

they walk up to joshua, "if anything happens to him and you do nothing i will not hesitate to bury your body."

"does that imply that you've killed me or..?"

"that's the implication... yes."

"got it, ashley."

"good."

"our suitcases and stuff are already in his car. so we were going whether you liked it or not."

"oh... okay then. asshole."

"you know i love you," i reply.

"i do.. unfortunately."

"come give me a hug, ashley."

they run toward me and swallow me in their arms. i feel their heart again and suddenly i feel thirteen. the moment i realized what hunter did to me and i sobbed in their arms and all over her purple shirt.

"i love you."

"i love you, asshole."

i laugh and take joshua's hand.

"off we go," i say as we go out the front door.

"please, t, be safe!"

is the last thing i hear from them.

"i'm so.. nervous, joshua."

"i know. but i'm here. it'll be okay."

"okay."

"okay."