Don't let go: Joel Miller x OC

You know I love you so

16th May 2025

Sunk into the soft quilt that covered the double bed within the master bedroom, Ava sat cross legged. With a book in hand, she quietly read. Each word on the page soaking into her mind as she allowed herself to become submerged into a whole new world. Her mental state improving day by day as the weeks went by; drastically so since allowing herself to let Joel back in. There was definitely something about being held in his arms that would make all the bad fizzle away for a temporary moment.

Her head had been completely engrossed within the pages of the hardback for the past few hours; Cold Mountain. It was enthralling and an escape from her own reality... it also happened to be the same book Joel had been apparently reading.

His deep voice sounded as he entered the room and noticed that the leaf he had been using as a book mark had been removed , "I hope you haven't lost where I was up to..."

"You said it was shit."

"It is but you forced me to have a New Year's resolution. To sit and read an entire book, remember?"

"I do."

"Yeah, so I plan on finishin' it."

"I could find you a better suited one. One with less words and more pictures, maybe?" A taunting smirk tugging at the corner of her lip.

He gave her an incredulous look, still leaning his weight on the one arm that was propped up against the door frame.

The blonde briefly looked up from the pages and offered a small smile, "Don't panic, I've put a fold in the page."

Joel padded further into the room, situating himself next to her upon the mattress with his back flush against the headrest. Ava placed the leaf back into the book, reaching across him to place it back onto his night stand before closing her eyes and resting her head against his shoulder, breathing in the comfort he always had a tendency to provide.

He smiled warmly at her display of affection, wrapping an arm around her upper back to scoop her in closer and nuzzling into the top of her fair hair. They remained there soundless in that position for a couple of blissful moments before Joel spoke up in no more than a low whisper, just simply embracing the relief it provided them both with. "How're you doin' today?"

Her emplacement unmoving, inhaling a thankful breath as she responded with her eyes still closed, "Mmm, okay...much better now that you're home..."

A low fond chuckle vibrated through his chest causing a grin to spread across her cheeks, he hadn't been gone long. It had just been a couple of hours where he needed to reinforce a weakened part of the wall that contained the utopia of their little town.

His hand languidly trailed up, fingers delicately massaging over her scalp earning him a satisfied hum whilst feeling her melt into the sensation. He used her mellow nature to move the topic of conversation onto the true intention of why he had interrupted her reading, "There's an event happenin' tonight...under the mess hall..."

Ava knitted her brows, lids fluttering open as she tried to think as to why there was a party being thrown but nothing came to mind, "What for?"

Joel shrugged, his fingers pausing for a beat before continuing their circular motions, "Celebrating the end of spring or some shit. I dunno, they celebrate fuckin' everythin' in this place."

She chuckled at his words, her own palm coming to rest over his chest. It was true, Jackson would find a reason to celebrate just about anything to keep morale high. Any excuse for a party.

His head lulled down to hers, lips just ghosting over her hairline as he continued, "I think we should go along... just for a bit."

" You want to go to the mess for an overcrowded party? My god, how the tables have turned..." The smirk pulling back to her face, if only to avoid a response to his suggestion.