Memphis Summer (ON HOLD)

The Waiting

                       "Don't it feel like something from a dream. Yeah I've never known nothing quite like this."                                  The Waiting - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

{Memphis}

"What did you do to my cousin last night?" Josh didn't even spare a look in my direction from the cab of his truck, his jaw clenched and tilted upward in defense. "Don't fuck with him, Memphis."

"Good morning to you, too," I joked, making my way to his spot in front of the office. His rumbling truck killing the tranquility of the morning, the sunlight barely peeping over the tree lined horizon behind the building. It reminded me of how peaceful Ellis looked as he slept in the back of my van. Only, I think the light looked better dancing around his bare skin, than it did caressing the edges of the trees and building.

"I'm not kidding," Josh warned, pulling my attention back to him. "He might not seem like it, but he's jacked in the head right now."

"Alright, fine. I get it," I waved my hands in the air in defeat. "I didn't do anything to him last night."

"Then why wasn't he at Aunt Beth's when I went to pick him up this morning," he asked with a raised brow. "She told me he never called her to come pick him up last night. Thought he spent the night at my house."

"He wasn't there, because he's in my van. Sleeping." 

I wanted to add in 'buck-assed naked', but the serious look in Josh's eye had me rethinking that comment. Apparently, informing him that his cousin had spent the night with me, wasn't what Josh wanted to hear, either. His head tilted to the side and the one eye that I could see, was lowered in suspicion.

"What did you do to my cousin, Memphis?"

In all the years I had been friends with Josh, I had never seen him get so overprotective, so quickly. It was like I was some stranger that Ellis drug up to introduce to his family.

"Relax, Josh," I started, mimicking the hitch in his voice when he said my name. "I didn't do anything to him. He slept in the van and I slept outside with Jezzie."

"It's not the sleeping arragement that I'm worried about," he growled out. "It's the before the sleeping."

 "Josh, what the hell?" The offened tone couldn't be hidden in my voice. All the years we've known each other. All the things we have been through, and he's treating me like a callous prick.

He rested his forehead on the steering wheel and lightly moved his head side to side. "Sorry. He's kinda messed up and I don't want him to be taken advantage of."

I hope Ellis didn't feel like I was taking advantage of him, but Josh's reaction was making me regret the 'before the sleeping" activities between Ellis and I. Even if it was only a little bit of slow dancing and a kiss.

Not just any kiss. A soul-shattering-Earth-shaking-heart-stopping-breath-taking kiss.

"Why are you smiling like that. I don't like that smile, Memphis," Josh glared from his truck, pulling his camo hat off of his head and running a hand through his shaggy brown hair. "I don't know whether I want to punch you or congratulate you."

My shoulders rolled in a careless shrug, unconcerned with whatever he decided. I'd take a beating for another kiss from Ellis. 

"What are you going to congratulate him for," Ellis asked, his voice suspicious and slightly annoyed. 

I jumped in my spot and turned to face him, not prepared for what I saw walking towards me. He hadn't put on his shirt yet, probably wouldn't at all, since we would be working at the landing all day. The pink, sun-kissed skin from the day before had already began tanning. His face was set in that permanent scowl, like he was pissed off at the world. Bright blue eyes landed on my face, and for a brief moment, there was the smallest of smiles that formed and quickly then disappeared.