Unrequited

Chapter Three: His Past

I sat in my room the next day, shaking and sobbing. Erick drugged me and then tried to stab Josh, who was my only family. I couldn't believe he would do something like that. I honestly thought he cared about me. Well, he and I were most certainly over now.

Right now Josh was at work. I wished he was here with me, because he always made me feel calmer. I turned to my bedside table and saw the photo of me and him. The day he'd started taking care of me was the day he turned eighteen and was legally an adult. He was only two and a half years older than me, but I had decided that I liked him and trusted him, and that I wanted to go home with him. I'd clung to him, and no one could pull me off, so they let him take me home. I had seen the kindness and maturity in his eyes right away. He was an amazing guardian right from the start. He knew exactly what he was doing, and I'd guessed he was probably the eldest in his family. He probably half-raised his younger brothers and sisters. It was funny that he never mentioned his family; whenever I brought them up, he changed the subject.

I studied the photo of us more thoroughly, and I realised just how young I looked. I'd been fifteen when it was taken. Since then I'd grown, and my eyes no longer held the hardness that they once did. Josh looked different, as well. In the photo, his dark brown eyes were sad. The sun glinted off his normally light-brown hair, turning it to gold. He held one of my small hands in his, as I'd refused to let him go completely. He had made me feel warm and safe, even then.

I put the frame down heavily and then stood up. I was wearing just an old t-shirt and track suit pants, but I was the only one home, so it didn't matter what I looked like. I sat in the lounge room and laid my head on a cushion on the black leather couch. It helped me to feel at peace, because it had Josh's scent on it, and so I closed my eyes and dozed off.

***

I woke up to a key being turned in the lock. I glanced at my watch and saw that it was only six pm, but I was exhausted. I yawned and relaxed back into the warm cushions on the couch. Josh entered the room and saw me.

"Mer, come on. I brought home dinner. Get up, please." I saw that he was holding a bag of take away, and my stomach rumbled, but I felt so comfortable that I didn't want to move.

"I'm tired, Josh. I want to sleep."

"I want to talk to you about something. Please?"

"Maybe tomorrow. Goodnight, dad." He looked shocked.

"Did you really just call me 'dad'?" he asked with surprise. I shot up to a sitting position on the couch and took note of the puzzled expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, I... I don't know why, I just-"

"Mer, it's fine. But... do you really see me like that? Am I just like a father to you?"

"No," I whispered, standing to my feet and walking towards him. "You're much more than that. You're my father, my brother and my best friend." I threw my arms around his waist, and he put his around mine. His hands stayed on my waist, and he lifted me up and spun me around. Then he hoisted me up so my legs were around his waist.

"I love you so much more than you know," he whispered to me. I looked at the position we were in.

"Josh, what... what the hell are you doing?" I asked, coming to my senses. "You're my guardian, not my boyfriend! Put me down, idiot." Josh almost dropped me in surprise. He had a certain bewilderment on his face, as though he couldn't believe what he'd just done.

"Meridian, I'm sorry. Forgive me. I have no idea why I did that. It was completely uncalled for and inappropriate. I'm going to bed, I'll see you in the morning."