Page 10 of Yours to Break

“C-can you come to the shop? Something happened, and I need help.”

“Are you okay? Hurt?” His voice rose with concern.

“No, no, I’m fine. Well–You’ll see. I know it’s early and everything, but I just… I feel like I can’t think. Just–Can you come?” My fingers trembled holding my phone up to my ear. I pulled my knees to my chest, using my free arm to hug them closer.

“Of course, I’m putting my shoes on as we speak. You don’t sound good, though. Could you stay on the call until I get there? Where are you? Are you in the shop?” I listened to the rustling of movement from his end. My head felt horrible, so I lay it in the gap between my chest and knees.

“Yeah, I’m sitting outside the front. I don’t know if I should go in,” I mumbled.

“You’re sitting outside? What happened? Are you safe?”

“I think I’m safe, but I don’t know if I should call the police, and I just–I just can’t think everything through right now.”

Josh’s breath hitched. “Why do you think the police might need to come? Please, please, just tell me what happened.”

“Someone spray-painted on the front window.”

“Spray-painted? Yeah, I can call the non-emergency line once I get to you, okay? Is it like a tag or a picture or what?” His steps were a calming rhythm in my ear.Thump, thump, thump.

I exhaled. “I-it says tranny bitch.” The line went silent. “Josh?”

“I’m still here. I’m just–I’m so sorry, Oliver. I’ll be there in just a second.”

“Okay.” The line went quiet again, besides the sound of his heavy steps on cement.

I was startled when I felt a hand touch my shoulder, but my body sagged slightly in relief when Josh’s worried face filled my line of sight. He knelt down on the sidewalk and tugged me into his side.

“It’s okay; we’ll get this all figured out, I promise,” he whispered softly, tucking my head under his chin. “Is it alright if I call the police?” I nodded. Josh breathed out as he stood up from the embrace. He gave me a small smile. “I’m just going to stand over there,“ He pointed to a lamppost maybe twenty or thirty feet down the sidewalk, “and call. Just wave or shout if you need me, okay?”

My head bobbed in confirmation. I started to pick at my stubby nails to distract myself as he walked off.

Josh was so kind. When I first met him, he hadn’t immediately given off that impression, but that was definitely because of my own biases. Guiltily, I thought about how I’d assumed he’d act like a frat boy with booze for brains, or a rude popular kid who acted superior to people who looked like me. I’d made all those assumptions just from looking at him, and I felt horrible about it. Sure, he was an attractive baseball player with family money, but that didn’t affect how he treated others. He never acted like he was better than me or flaunted his money around. He was an amazing guy, honestly.

I buried my head back into the little gap between my chest and knees, hiding the blush that I was sure had spread across my cheeks. We’d been texting several times a day lately, and I almost felt like he’d flirted a few times. I was trying hard not to get my hopes up. Someone like him couldn’t possibly actually want me. But… What if he did? I was definitely open to dating him. I only wished that Grammy could’ve been alive to meet my first ever boyfriend.Getting a bit ahead of yourself there,I thought.

I jumped when something suddenly hit the side of my sneaker. A shoe—a very fancy shoe to be exact—had nudged me. When I raised my head, my heart dropped to my stomach.

It wasthem.

“Look, Hudson, he was waiting for us,” Hayes chuckled. He must’ve seen the confusion wash over my face, because he then added, “Because you’re on the ground at our feet? Have you already figured that out by yourself, pup? I’m proud!”

I threw a withered glare at him. “I’m kinda dealing with something if you hadn’t noticed, so fuck off—respectfully.” I nodded my head in the direction of my shop. Hudson tilted his head while staring at me with an unreadable expression. After a few steps to the right, they focused on the problem. I watched with curiosity as they spoke under their breath to each other.

While the twins were still standing by the window, Josh bounded up to me. “They’re going to send an officer soon to make sure the inside of your shop is safe. I mean it probably is, but it’d be better to have them check it out—just in case. How’re you doing?”

I exhaled slowly, rising from the ground. “I’m okay. And thank you, really,” I smiled. Josh blushed at my words, looking away for a moment.

“You called me for help. I would never leave you to deal with this alone. So, no thanks are necessary, okay? I… I really care about you, Oliver. Thankyoufor letting me help,” he blurted, a shy smile on his face. Before I knew it, he’d pulled me into his chest, arms wrapped around me in a hug.

“Oh, are we interrupting something?”

I couldn’t see which twin had spoken since my face was pressed into Josh’s lovely pecs. Josh released me as he responded, “No, um, do you need something?”

Hudson drawled, a too-bright smile on his lips, “We just want to support our friend in his time of need! It’s unacceptable that this happened. Are you doing okay, pup?” Josh raised a brow at the “pup” thrown in.

I glowered, “I’m fine, thank you. As you can see, I already have the support I need.”

“Hm. Alright then, I guess we’ll be going,” Hudson said, sizing up Josh with his gaze. Hayes grunted as they walked off.

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