Our Own Forever and Always

Chapter Two

My floor-skimming black, silk gown makes me feel effortlessly elegant as I walk the red carpet of the Paris premier of Catching Fire. I smile widely, making sure that I walk slowly to prevent any falls. I walk over to Josh, smiling, and holding my arms out for a hug. He runs over to me, squeezing me tightly.

"How do I look?" I ask, grabbing at the fabric of my dress and standing on my tip toes. Josh laughs, looking me up and down. I think I see his eyes trail from my chest down to my ass, but I ignore it. Liam approaches us, and the three of us smile for the cameras. I wrap my arm around Josh, my other around Liam.

"You look stunning, Jen." Josh says, patting me on the back. The three of us walk the red carpet, meeting. Julianne, Willow, Sam, his wife, Laura, Jena, Francis, and Nina.

"Come here, Willow!" I say, wrapping my arms around her. She's like my little sister, and I know I love being with her so much. We smile for the camera, posing together. "You look so good tonight–so old!"

"Thanks," she says with a small giggle. She walks over to Jena, and they begin to get pictures together. I turn to see Josh waiting for me, so I walk over to him to get some pictures with him. He wraps his arm around me, and I smile, leaning up against him.

Josh's POV

I feel Jen's small frame against me, and I can't help but lose myself in her. She's so beautiful, and all I want to do is kiss her perfect lips. But I can't. She's my best friend. I've heard her talk about how she doesn't want a steady relationship several times, and I can't ruin our friendship. How can I explain to my best friend that I love her more than anyone in the world? How can I feel this way about Jen, when I'm dating Claudia? The worst part of it is, I don't even feel guilty. My love for Jen is so strong, that I would be willing to do anything for her.

I follow Jen towards the theatre, taking a seat next to her and waiting for the premier to start. Liam sits on my right, and Willow sits on the other side of Jen. She pulls out her phone, and presses the camera app. "Here," she says, holding her phone out. "Let's take a picture to remember tonight."

I smile widely, and Jen takes the picture. "Perfect!" she says, giving me a light kiss on my cheek. Why does she have this effect on me?

"Hey, what are you doing after the party tonight?" I ask.

"Won't that be a little late?" Jen asks, chuckling softly.

"I thought maybe we could have one last movie night. I can pop some popcorn and we can have a marathon for the last time until our lives will be consumed with work again."

"That sounds great!" Jen says, smiling widely. "I'm sleeping over, though, because I know I'll just end up falling asleep on you anyway." She says, resting her head on her shoulder.

+++

Jen's POV

I take a small sip of my drink, looking around the after party for Josh. I spot Liam from across the room, and walk as fast as I can in the giant heels I'm wearing. "Have you seen Josh?" I ask, grabbing onto his shoulder. I have a little bit of a buzz, and I know if I drink more, it won't be long until I'm drunk.

"Yeah, he's over there," he says, pointing to Josh who is talking with Sam. I nod, walking over to him.

"Care for a dance, Hutcherson?" I ask, seductively, in a joking manor. He laughs, and I hold out my hand. He grabs it, and I lead him to the dance floor, shaking my butt. I giggle, turning around. Josh wraps his arms around me, leaning back and forth with me and dancing to the beat. I grab two shots as a woman walks by handing them out. "Here," I say, handing him one. "To the end of an amazing movie."

"To the end of an amazing movie."

Josh and I take the shot, and I smile widely. "I don't know what I'm going to do when this is all over. I'm going to miss you."

"Jen." Josh says, brushing the loose hair from my face. "We have two more movies to film in just a few weeks. Besides, you can call me whenever you want. You'll always be my best friend." I smile at his words, leaning into him.

"I just love being with you. You make me feel so happy and you're just my bestest friend in the world... my rock." I say, looking into Josh's eyes. I grin, beginning to dance. I feel Josh grab my arm suddenly, and I look back, puzzled. "What?"

"Nothing it's just.." He pauses for a moment, the music and sounds of people talking drowning out my thoughts. I look behind Josh to see Liam eyeing the two of us up. Josh puts his hand under my chin, pulling me close so I am looking up into his eyes. Before I have the chance to pull away, his lips have already met mine. I close my eyes, the kiss deepening. It's a different type of kiss. It feels... better than the ones I've ever shared with Nick. I lose myself in the kiss, until I finally begin to realize what were doing. We both seem to pull away at the same time, looking down at the ground. Josh is my best friend. We can't ruin our friendship over a silly kiss.

"Jen," Josh says, shaking his head and buying his head into his hands. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what came upon me I-"

"It's fine, Josh. It's okay," I say, nodding slowly. "It was probably just the alcohol."

"Yeah, you're right." He says, biting his lip. "I don't want things to be awkward. That was a mistake."

"I know. It's fine, Josh." I say, offering him a smile. "We're friends, okay?" I look back towards Liam, who looks completely mortified. I shrug towards him, and Josh looks back up at me. The last thing I want is for him to feel bad. "I should not have kissed you back."

"Maybe we can just forget that happened." He says, chuckling softly. I nod, handing him my glass of wine.

"I should get going. I'm tired." I say, knowing well that we need a few minutes to think about what just happened. My biggest fear is losing my best friend, but I enjoyed the kiss... I loved the kiss.

"Okay," He says, rubbing me on the back. "I'm sorry, Jen."

I turn, grabbing my phone and calling an uber. I slip out of the party, not saying goodbye to anyone. I sit on a bench outside of the venue, the wind hitting my face. What just happened in there? Does Josh have feelings for me? Why did that kiss feel so amazing?