Back to you | ✔

27 | Chapter Twenty Seven

B O N N I E

My throat closes and I stop breathing. Whenever someone gets drunk and confesses they fucked up, it's never a good thing.

"What did you do?" I ask with a shaky breath, not sure I want to hear whatever he is about to say. What if he met someone at the party and doesn't know how to tell me. I wasn't gone for very long, but when you look like him, it isn't hard to imagine.

It would make sense if he met someone, considering how hot and cold he's been with me recently. The kiss we shared in his car the other day felt urgent, but necessary. Was it real, or was he just using me to fill some void? 

"I, uh-" Josh breaks my train of thought and I turn my attention back to him. I watch him as he draws in a deep breath. "I hurt my dad," he mumbles. It takes me a second to understand what he just said. "What do you mean, you hurt your dad?" 

Relief washed over me as I realized it wasn't another girl, but that didn't make me feel any better knowing Mitch was hurt.

He groans, leaning up to look at me. "When I confronted him about the affair, I just got so agitated I hit him without thinking." I gasp at the thought of Josh hitting his dad. I struggle to picture them fighting in my head since neither of them has ever been violent people.

"Josh," I cry out, "is he okay?" He nods, and I sigh in relief. That explains why I haven't seen much of his dad since that night. It would explain why Mitch was so blunt with me that morning when I went to find Josh. I was so embarrassed because I knew about him and mom. Maybe if I paid more attention and didn't shy away from looking up at him, I would've noticed something had happened.

Josh always had this image in his head of his parents and their perfect marriage. Finding out just how strained their relationship really was must've killed him. Especially knowing that his mom who was dying, forced him to make a decision to choose between their family or mine. 

It would break anyone finding out there was a choice in the first place. 

I know his dad is hurting right now without Josh around and that makes me sad. Maybe I'll talk to mom and see if she can check on him. As much as I hate the idea of them together, he needs a friend.

"What if he only picked us because mom was dying?" Josh confesses through broke sobs. I fight back the tears starting to pool in the corner of my eye. He needs me to be strong for him right now and that's what I'll do.

"I hate that I don't know how to be around him anymore," Josh groans, I don't see the tears falling but I know they're there. We lay there as he silently cries into my chest, all he needs from me is comfort, not words. 

Nothing I say could help him right now, but I'm glad he can confide in me again. 

***

"Bonnie, honey, wake up." I hear the soft knocking at my door and I hesitantly open my eyes. I glance around the room, and my eyes fall on the arm draped over my stomach. The knocking starts up again, "Bonnie, I know you're in there." It's mom. I groan to myself trying to lift Josh's arm off of my waist as gently as possible so I don't wake him.

I get up and walk over to my door, opening it just enough to peek out and see what she wants. "What?" I grumble and the site of her causes my frown to fall. She looks like she hasn't showered in days, and she doesn't smell too good either. "What's going on?" I grumble, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

"Is Josh in there?" she nods to my bedroom, "yeah, why?" I shrug and she sighs in relief. "He needs to get up and you both have to come with me." She walks away without explaining further so I call out to stop her. "Mom," she looks over her shoulder at me, her eyes wide with concern and my heart starts to race. Something is wrong, but she doesn't want to tell me.

I plead with her silently to explain what is going on, but she doesn't. "Please, Bon, we don't have time for this." She's off and down the stairs before I can question further. "What's going on?" I hear the deep drawl from behind me. I turn to see Josh sitting up in bed, shirtless and as beautiful as ever.

He smirks at me and I want nothing more than to run over there and sink into his embrace, but I can't. He stands when he notices my uncertainty, "what's wrong, BonBon?" he questions, his smirk disappearing. "You need to get dressed," I say sternly, but the idiot smirks at me again.

"I didn't take you for a one-night stand kind of girl," he quips and I groan in frustration. "Josh, seriously, we need to get dressed and go downstairs." The color drains from his face as he stands, "Bonnie, what happened?" he asks as he walks towards me. 

"I don't know, but mom said we both need to get downstairs, quickly." 

"She knows I'm here?"

"Yes, that's not important right now. Please, just get dressed." 

We rush downstairs and find mom sitting at the dining room table waiting for us. I can feel her nervous energy the second we step foot into the room. Her knee bouncing so fast I can feel it vibrating through the floor.

"Mom," I say and her head snaps in our direction. "Oh thank god, let's go."

Josh doesn't say anything as we follow mom out to the car. I sense him glancing between me and mom, trying to figure out what's caused all the panic. I feel his hand grab for mine and I lace my fingers through his. He lightly squeezes my hand and stops walking, pulling me to a stop beside him.

"Is this about my dad?" he whispers only to me, before I can say anything mom turns to face both of us. "Whatever happened between you and your dad doesn't matter right now, we need to go," she says as she opens her car door and slides in. 

The car ride is silent and uncomfortable, to say the least. I choose to sit in the back seat with Josh because, for whatever reason, he refuses to let go of my hand. Not that I'm complaining if this is what helps ease his tension.

"Mom, tell us what's going on?" I say urgently and see her glance in the rearview mirror but she doesn't say a word. "Mom!" I scream, and she jumps with the sound of my voice, causing her to swerve the car slightly.

"Bonnie! let me drive so we get to the hospital safely," I watch as the realization of what she just said sinks in. Her eyes widen and stare at me in the rearview mirror. "Hospital?" Josh questions on a shaky breath. 

"Who's at the hospital?" I ask, but then I look over at Josh and everything starts to become clear. Who else would we be going to see at a hospital, together?

"We're here," she turns to face us. "Josh, whatever happened needs to be forgotten. Your dad needs you now."

Josh throws open his door and rushes towards the entry. I struggle to catch up to him, but I notice that mom hasn't left the car. I stop and frown at her, "are you not coming?" I ask and she shakes her head. Without thought, I spin back around and chase after Josh.

When I get inside I find Josh already at the reception desk asking for his dad's room number. We frantically follow the directions given and minutes later we find ourselves standing outside his room. 

"Do you want me to come in?" I ask. Without words, he grabs my hand, pushes open the door, and leads me inside with him.