Just a Newsboy

Chapter 13

•••••Joshua's Perspective

"She what?" The shock in Aiden's voice reverberated through the theater.

I nodded, wincing as I fiddled with my hands. "Yeah."

She shook her head and sat back against her chair. "I can't believe that."

"I can't either, honestly."

"In all the years I've known her, she has never cried. Not once." She toyed with one of her thick, kinky curls. "This must've really done a number on her."

"It did." I bit my lip, recounting the events from the night before. "She let me hug her for a really long time. We just...sat there."

Aiden nodded thoughtfully, a small smile creeping across her lips. "Well, looks like you did it."

I tilted my head. "I did what?"

"She actually trusts you now." She reached over and grabbed my hand. "You're officially her friend."

My stomach dropped, and I pulled my hand out of her grasp. "That's...that's why I asked if I could talk to you about it."

"What do you mean?"

"I know it's exciting that I...that I 'made it', I guess," I said, making air-quotes with my fingers, "but...there's something else,"

The violinist wrinkled her nose, puzzled.  "I'm not following you."

It was getting harder to breathe, and a fierce shade of red was bleeding onto my cheeks. "Um...I don't want—well, that's not right, I mean, I do want to be her friend, of course...I mean, I always have, but I just...I..."

"Josh?"

"I want to be...more than that..." I finally spat out, unable to meet her piercing blue eyes, "...more than her friend."

When I eventually did force myself to look back at her face, those eyes were wide with a bewildered sense of surprise. "Ah. I see."

I nodded. "Yeah."

"I see."

"Mhm."

"Wow." She managed a light laugh, shaking her head slowly. "Why didn't you tell me any of this before?"

I frowned. "I—I don't know, actually."

"Who else knows?"

"Just Ben."

She gave me a look. "Really? You told Ben before me?"

"I'm sorry." I laughed, thankfully feeling the tension in the air dissolve. "I wasn't thinking."

"So, how long has this been marinating in your head?" She asked.

I grimaced. "I'm really not a fan of that expression."

She laughed. "Sorry. But..."

"A while." I answered. "Since the bonfire, I think."

"The bonfire?" She gave me an incredulous look. "You mean the bonfire that we had, like, two months ago?"

"Yep."

"Wow." She said again, drawing out the 'o' sound.

"I know." I bit my lip anxiously. "So, what do you think?"

She smiled, crossing her arms. "I think you two would be super cute together. Natalie thinks so too."

"That's a relief." I breathed. "But, how are my chances looking?"