Josephine's Secret

34. I Really Hate Mom

34. I Really Hate Mom: Josephine's Pov

Chapter Goal: 300 votes, 100 comments (for Josephine's Dad's Pov)

QOTC- how do you feel about crocs? (I REALLY WANT WHITE ONES)

The door on this side has no handle, so the only way to leave is for it to be opened from the outside.

I walk over to where he's sitting against the wall and hold out the bag of blueberry donuts, a genuine smile forming on my face when he takes it and gestures for me to take a seat next to him. "Just like old times, right?" he chuckles, his eyes filled with melancholy.

I force myself to hold back the tears forming in my eyes, not wanting to get caught up on the fact that things will never be the same between us. "They don't know you're in here, do they?" he frowns when I nod, knowing that the reactions I'll get when everyone realizes I'm in here without supervision won't be positive.

Nate will yell at me, I know that for sure. Archer might, Elia might, hell, even Derrick might yell at me. Well... maybe? The person who has the lowest chance of yelling at or scolding me, it's gonna be Derrick.

Yeah.

So if everyone starts verbally attacking me, I'll just stand next to Derrick.

"Nate's going to give you one of his 'big brother' lectures, you know that right?" I nod, knowing what I got myself into by entering this room. "About how I'm a danger to you and how you shouldn't even consider me your brother anymore. I'm basically dead to him at this point. I don't know how Elia feels about me, but I know she's more on Nate's side than mine."

He doesn't bother asking me where I stand when it comes to choosing his side or Nate's. None of my siblings will ask me. They all know that I won't allow Eric to get hurt, but I also won't do anything to help him get out of the situation he's in. "Is this all for me?" he asks when I push the bag of pastries to him when he takes half of what's inside, meaning that I didn't come to split with him.

I nod, knowing that the meals he's been getting lately probably haven't been enjoyable. "Thank you, Sophie." He finishes his food rather quickly, aware that the others could rush in at any given time and separate the two of us again.

"Have you graduated yet?"

I nod.

"You made it out of high school before me." I give him a confused look. He's a year older than me, so he should've graduated last year.

"When the separation happened, Mom and Dad didn't enroll me in school until the year after. So I had to repeat sophomore year." he explains. "And I didn't technically go to my graduation since I came back here."

"Has your mate been treating you okay?"

I nod.

"That's good. If anything happens between you two, go straight to Nate or Elia." he says. "I want you to be happy, but I also want you to be safe. Don't settle for anyone just because fate paired you together."

"Are you happy with him?"

I nod. I'm happier than before I met him.

"Are you safe with him?"

I nod. Although Archer scares the shit out of me right now, I at least know deep down that he won't hurt me. Letting me get hurt is something he promised to protect me from, but I know most threats in the world are things he can't control.

"Do you feel safe with him?"

I nod. I don't feel safe with him at the time being, but I know it's just an irrational fear. An irrational fear I can't control.