Haunted

Back 2 Good

"You're not keeping any other secrets from me, are you?" Josh asked after they posted Maddox's video.

"Not exactly," Maddox thought of Emily right away. "There's one thing but it's not my secret, it's my dad's, so I really shouldn't say anything."

"As long as it doesn't involve you in a bad way," Josh sighed, kissing Maddox's shoulder. "Can you stay at my place tonight?"

"Yeah," Maddox decided. He texted his mom to let her know, giving her Josh's phone number and promising she could call Josh to check on him if she had to. Clara probably wouldn't be happy but it wasn't like she could come to Josh's apartment and drag him home. At least he hoped.

"I like your family and all, but I'd really like some privacy," Josh stood up. "And I miss my own food."

"My mom makes good food," Maddox protested.

"Yeah, it's delicious but I've gained like 5 pounds," Josh lifted his shirt and poked his stomach.

"I can put you through a workout if you want," Maddox smirked. Josh laughed and let Maddox kiss him.

"If I could just eat you for a few days I'd be perfect in no time."

"You look great, I don't see what you're worried about."

"I have to take promo pictures for this movie next week. Every extra ounce is going to stare at me from movie posters across the country."

"I've never seen you look less than perfect in any of your pictures," Maddox kissed Josh's neck. "But whatever you need to do to feel good, I get it."

"Thank you," Josh kissed him. "You know I'd really love it if you came to the premier with me."

"I can do that. When is it?"

"August. But it's in New York."

"Oh," Maddox sighed. "Well, maybe by then my parents won't mind."

"I understand if you can't. Or if you don't want to go back there."

"There are a lot of good memories in that house too," Maddox wondered if he'd ever really be able to feel at home there again.

"We could stay at my place," Josh rubbed Maddox's back. "It's kind of small but it's got a lot of light and right across the street is a great organic market and a really cool tea shop."

"Sounds perfect," Maddox smiled. "I'll start begging my therapist to let me have a few days off. She promised I could switch to 1 day a week anyway."

"So you've really been going to therapy every day this whole time?"

"3 days a week," Maddox nodded.

"What do you even talk about all that time?"

"Anything I can think of," Maddox shrugged. "Sometimes Dr. Moore suggests stuff, sometimes I think of stuff that I want to figure out and sometimes we just practice like breathing exercises to help me calm down if I'm getting anxious or ways to refocus my thoughts if I'm having a panic attack."

"I had no idea," Josh hugged Maddox. "I know you're getting better, I do see that, but I'm scared for you," he sighed, putting his face in Maddox's shoulder. "I just want to hold you and never let go."

"Well I'm not going anywhere," Maddox ran his fingers through Josh's hair. "You don't have to worry," he promised.

It wasn't surprising to Maddox that Josh seemed extra clingy that night, never moving far enough from Maddox that he couldn't reach for his hand or touch him casually as they made dinner at Josh's apartment, Josh explaining what Maddox soon discovered was his very healthy but mostly dull philosophy on food.