Making Quiet Things Heard

Ch. 2

Hope's POV

Her bed was always soft and smelled like a tinge of lavender. I ran my fingers across her comforter while remembering all the times we slept over. Lizzie would talk about some boy while Josie and I were amused by the inside jokes we had about Lizzie's boy craze at the time. My mind couldn't help but wonder what would've happened if I would've known about the crush. The whole time, I thought it was just me and it was honestly so validating to know that Josie felt the same way back then because now I know that I wasn't just making it all up in my head. Especially back then when I was still coming to understand my sexuality.

But that's all in the past now.

"Hey," Josie said walking in with her cute cyan matching pajamas.

She came in carrying a round dish with a tea pot and cups sitting a top of it, "Sorry I kept you waiting, I know the great Hope Mikelson always has some where to be. I just thought it'd be nice to have a second to relax and exit out of hero mode."

"Pfft. Me? I'm always relaxed. I don't know what you're talking about," I replied, crossing my arms and quirking my brow.

She smiled at that, "Yeah and I hate fire."

I kind of laughed at that.

She set the dish down at the night stand beside me and handed me a cup of camomeille tea. She then sat down next to me, and turned her body to look at me before crossing her legs.

We both drank our tea in silence before I felt the need to ask, "So what do you wanna talk about?"

Josie shrugged, "I don't know, I mostly wanted to check up on you. It's been a while. I've-"

"I know. You've been busy with Jade." I accidentally interrupted with some annoyance.

Josie quirked her brow at my comment before setting her cup down and meeting my gaze again, "Hope, I know I've flaked a lot lately but I thought you'd understand. It's not exactly easy helping an ex-ripper control her urges. Jade's been working really hard though and I think she'll be able to go into town by herself soon."

I rolled my eyes, "It's not your job to do that you know."

"Not my job to do what?"

"Help her."

"If I don't then who will?"

"Your dad. He can handle it. He's done it before-"

"-my dad? He's the whole reason we were trapped in the prison world to begin with. He gave up on Jade because he gave up on her when she needed him the most. It's his fault she's still like this."

I shrugged, "We all have issues. She doesn't need to be babied. Maybe MG or Kaleb could help her, they've actually been through it-"

"Why do you even care?"

Why did I care? I questioned myself.

"Because, all your life all you've ever done was take care of everyone else at the expense of you own happiness and safety and it's codependent and unhealthy-"

"At the expense of my own happiness? Hope, I'm the happiest I've been in a long time. Jade makes me feel like my choices matter. We take care of each other but not too much. I let her handle a lot of the blood exposure exercises by herself so she can overcome them with her own will."

My throat tightened as I struggled to bring myself to think about the consequence, "I don't care. You being around her right now isn't safe for you. All it takes is one slip up for her to kill you and-" I stopped myself, "I just . . . wouldn't be able to live with myself if you disappeared again."