Small Town Southern Charm

Chapter Twenty-Three

Josh’s POV:

When Taralyn woke up the next morning her eyes were red and swollen. I felt so bad for her because she was going through so much here lately and I felt like there was nothing that I could do to help. I helped as much as I could but I felt like it wasn’t enough. She smiled weakly over at me as she walked over to where I was. When she got over to me she wrapped her arms around me and hugged me.

“Thanks for being here for me.” She mumbled.

“If you thank me one more time I’m gonna kick you out of my house.” I joked.

She laughed a little before pulling away from me. She was sitting on my lap and she looked up at me. I wanted nothing more than for her to kiss me then but it never happened because she got up.

“I’m going to take a shower.” She told me before leaving the bedroom.

Tara got out of the shower about an hour later and she looked like she had been crying again. I couldn’t take seeing her like this, it was killing me. I didn’t want to see my best friend hurting the way she was.

“Tara, tell me what made you think of that last night, please.”

“I don’t really want to talk about it.” Her face turned red when I asked her about it.

“Please, Tara. You’re killing me.”

“Um, well things would have went too far last night with me and Johnny. Um, he took my shirt off and he was kissing my arm and when he got to my wrist he seen or felt the scars and all. He asked me about it and all I could think about was how you were acting that night. The way you were panicking and trembling, the way your voice was cracking when you would talk to me.” There she went crying again. “I have been the worst best friend to you.”

“You are the best best friend anyone in the world could ever have. Don’t think like that. That night is in the past now so let’s not worry about it. As long as nothing ever happens like that again, everything will be okay. I’m just happy that I have you here with me now.”

Yeah, it did hurt when she said that she took her shirt off for Johnny. I mean, if he hadn’t have seen her scars they would have most likely slept together and just the thought of that makes me want to go beat Johnny’s ass. I didn’t like picturing her with anyone but me. I know it’s selfish but I wanted her to be with me. That would most likely never happen though.

Taralyn’s POV:

I spent most of the day at Josh’s house crying once again. I know that it was hurting Josh to see me this way again but he wouldn’t let me leave his side until I stopped crying. The whole time I was there I thought about what Jody had said the day before when she told me that Josh was crazy about me. What had she meant? Like did he love me? Or did she mean that he was crazy about me as a best friend?

“Are you sure you’re okay now?” Josh asked as I was about to leave his house.

“Yeah, I’m okay. I’ll see you tonight.” I told him while getting into my truck.

Josh had been such an amazing friend to me over the past few months, I wanted to spend the night with him. We were going to have a movie night at my house, I couldn’t wait. I was going to make us some dinner before we watched the movies so when I left his house I headed to the store.

I was grabbing stuff in the store for dinner when I seen Johnny walk down the aisle with JoAnna. I wanted to turn the other way because the night before was replaying in my head.

“Tara, wait up!” Johnny called just as I was about to turn the corner. “You in a hurry?”

“No, just got caught up with getting food.”