Page 102 of Deck of Scarlets

Josh readjusted himself before peeking through the door crack, then slowly removed the chair.

“In here!” he called.

Baron entered first, hugging Josh. “Dude, you’ve been gone for two hours.”

Chloe surveyed the small space, her eyes eventually landing on me, suspicion on her face. “Quite a mess you both made out there.”

“Never leave the campus without a bomb,” laughed Josh, avoiding where I stood.

“I’m guessing no sign of Father Abraham, then?” questioned Chloe, never taking her eyes off me.

“No,” I managed to say, my voice somewhat hoarse. “Empty upon arrival.”

“We should probably head out before any more show up,” Baron advised.

Josh didn’t look my way when he left with Baron, and my heart sank further into my stomach.

I couldn’t take back what I’d done, but I also couldn’t bask in the glory of how it felt, not when he still belonged to Nickie.

Chapter Forty-One

Days went by, and Josh went MIA in the process. I asked where he was, but they all chose to keep a tight lid on his whereabouts.

I took a huge blow to my already damaged heart.

Father Benedict requested a full report after that night. Unfortunately, that task was left to me. I explained in detail, leading up to the ambush of Drarkoth’s, and Father praised me for my courage and fighting abilities, but even then, nothing soothed the ache Josh left behind.

His theory of Abraham’s disappearance was that he sought refuge somewhere, knowing what was coming for him. I found out all priests in the Order are Seers, a gift bestowed upon the chosen. Collin, according to Father, was already showing signs of one.

It was only a matter of time before he was transferred to a new location, becoming a priest at another cathedral to help train.

We then discussed more of Juniper’s history, but I got sidetracked. My mind kept wandering back to that night, the way Josh’s hands touched my skin, right down to his mouth claiming mine.

Father Benedict wasn’t oblivious, so he sent me on my way, advising me to take some time for myself and maybe see old friends.

Instead, I finished a load of laundry, ready to fold, when a knock came at my door.

I didn’t have time to open it; Josh entered at his own risk.

He stood under the entrance to my dorm room, arms crossed, and a scowl on his face. We hadn’t spoken in three days, since our intimate moment, the one I hadn’t stopped thinking about, and judging by the look he gave me, he wasn’t pleased with what happened.

“Remi…” He paused, blowing a gust of air out in frustration.

“Nice to see you too,” I muttered and returned to folding my laundry.

Mental wall up, Josh out.

The floor creaked from the pressure of his walk, but I didn’t dare turn around to see where he stopped. Suddenly, the door shut, making the air thicker and harder to breathe.

“I had a family matter,” he stated.

I aggressively folded a shirt. “Riveting.”

“So, I dip for a couple of days and you’re mad?”

I started to laugh because it was better than feeling pathetic. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

Josh spun me around, his eyes blazed with fury. “You don’t think I haven’t lay awake every night since, trying to understand what we did?”

---