Room 241: A Josh Richards Story

32- Race Against Time

*JOSH'S POV*

He couldn't believe he'd been so dumb. Mads tried to hold his arm and convince him to worry about it tomorrow, but he was completely freaking out:
"What do I do?"

Sam: "Dude... go get her!"

He pulled away from Mads and ran up to grab his bag. Olivia was completely sober so she grabbed her keys and told Josh:
"I'll drive. But we gotta go right now before you miss the last flight out."

He couldn't believe he'd messed this up. It'd been such an amazing week and he was falling deeper in love with her than he even thought possible seeing how well she fit into his family. Giving her that promise ring had been the happiest he had ever been.

At the airport he raced through security and yelled goodbye to his sister as he took off towards the only terminal with a flight left that night. When he got to the end of the hall, he saw her sitting, curled up with her arms wrapped around her knees across the room and dried up tears staining her face. He had sworn he would never hurt her the way every other boy had and was determined to prove to her that hadn't changed. She was all he ever wanted. He called out:
"Baby..."

*END JOSH'S POV*

She thought she heard his voice, but she knew it was just wishful thinking. He probably hadn't even noticed she was gone yet. She couldn't help but wonder what he and Mads were doing right that moment. It was 11:58pm so honestly, Mads was probably getting ready for that midnight kiss he had apparently promised her. She looked up trying to shake that image out of her head and came face to face with Josh. She was absolutely shocked and stumbled out:
"What- Wait, What are you doing here?"

Josh dropped his bag and pulled her against him:
"I came for my midnight kiss."

No matter how upset she was, she couldn't resist melting into his kiss. His lips just fit so perfectly with hers that it felt as if they were made for each other:
"I thought-"

Josh: "Look, I know what you thought, but you're wrong. I got caught up with my friends to the point that I didn't even notice she was sitting next to me, but that's just because I don't care where she sits or what she says. I don't give a damn about anything about her anymore."

You: *trying to fight the tears returning*
"You don't?"

Josh: "She's just a piece of my past. My future is you. Just you. It's always you and it's only ever going to be you."

You spend the entire flight home holding each other and enjoying a plane with only a handful of people on it, most of them asleep since it was such a late flight. When you land, you don't want to wake up Charli at 5am, so you just order an Uber. She had just gotten home the day before and was supposed to pick you up from the airport, but changing your flights had changed that. On the drive to campus, Josh turned on his phone and was prepared for the messages his mom was sure to have left him. Much to his surprise it was just a few short, mostly supportive texts.

You pile out of the uber and he stops just before the door of your dorm room and pulls you close:
"My mom's right you know. I don't want to ever lose you. Next time I do something that upsets you, please just talk to me instead of making me chase you across the country. Don't get me wrong, I will always come for you, but just talk to me... promise?"

You twist the ring that's still on your finger since Christmas and remember the words engraved on the inside and tell him:
"I promise."

You open the door and stop dead in your tracks when you see Charli passed out asleep... curled up next to a shirtless Jaden.