Page 40 of Between Here and There

“What kind of problem?” he asks, his tone soft but laced with concern.

I glance over my shoulder nervously, then look back at him. “He’s here. It’s really him.”

Joshua follows my gaze, and it takes a moment for him to connect the dots. But when his eyes land on Rob, recognition flashes across his face. “Ah, Rob,” he says, his voice darkening just a little. “So how do you want to play this out, Em? I’m willing to do anything you ask me to.”

I panic. My brain scrambles for a plan, a solution, anything to get me out of this situation, and before I can stop myself, the words fly out. “Kiss me.”

“What?” Joshua blinks, clearly caught off guard. His eyebrows shoot up, but he doesn’t move.

This might be the most reckless decision I’ve made here so far. Goodbye, rules. Farewell, common sense. You will be missed.

“I’m sober, and I’m asking you to kiss me. Will you?” The words tumble out, and I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks. This is everything I tried to avoid earlier, but here I am. Maybe I’m overdoing it, but something in me wants this. Wants to show Rob exactly what he lost… and, frankly, kiss Josh.

Joshua’s lips twitch, fighting a smile. “So you do remember?”

I swallow, my nerves threatening to get the better of me, but I force myself to stay calm. “Yes. And I remember you saying you’d do it in a heartbeat. It’s been at least five heartbeats, and I am still standing here, kiss-less.

“Do I have to beg? Do I—?”

I don’t get to finish the sentence. Before I can even process what’s happening, Joshua flips his baseball cap around and steps closer. He cups my face gently, his rough palms surprisingly tender against my skin, and then, without another word, he presses his lips to mine.

The world around us fades in an instant, leaving only the two of us in this moment. His lips are soft, warm, yet firm, and the kiss...oh my goodness, the kiss. It’s not rushed or frantic—it’s slow, deliberate, like he’s savoring it, like he’s been waiting for this. His hand slips to the small of my back, pulling me closer, and I can feel the steady thrum of his heartbeat against my chest, matching the wild rhythm of my own. My hands instinctively find their way to his chest, fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt as if to anchor myself, because, honestly, I’m about to topple over from all this intensity.

Then, I fling my arms over his neck, pulling him deeper into the kiss, desperate for more of that electric connection. The rain pattering around us, the street noise, even the weight of Rob’s stare—all of it fades into the background. There’s only Joshua, and the way his lips move against mine.

He grunts softly when my fingers tangle in his hair, and I feel a surge of satisfaction. He’s into this as much as I am, and that thought alone sends another thrill through me.

As the kiss slows, I pull back just slightly, his breath warm against my lips. He lingers there for a moment, his forehead resting lightly against mine. My pulse races, and it takes everything in me not to pull him back in.

“You don’t ever have to beg,” he murmurs, his voice low and rough, his eyes still closed as if he’s savoring the closeness. “Not to me.”

I stay there, breathless, my heart still pounding as his words sink in. For a moment, everything feels suspended, like we’re caught in this bubble where nothing else matters. Not Rob. Not the awkwardness of last night. Just... us. Like it was, that night in New York.

And then reality hits, crashing back in like a wave. I’m standing here, wrapped in Joshua’s arms, my lips still tingling from the kiss, and Rob is probably watching the entire scene unfold.

I pull back completely, trying to regain some sense of composure. But even as I step away, my heart feels tethered to him, which is in no way a good thing. “Thanks,” I whisper, my voice shaky. For a moment, I forget that the kiss was supposed to be a show, a ruse. For a brief, fleeting second, I wonder if maybe it meant more than that. No, I don’t wonder… I hope.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Joshua

It’s even better than I imagined it to be. I’d be lying if I said I don’t think of kissing Emily every time I see her, but this time, I actually did it. And I’m whisked back to that first kiss in that New York apartment. I thought that was the pinnacle, the kind of kiss that sticks with you forever, but this moment—right here, right now—proves me wrong. This is better. Infinitely better.

Then I remember where we are.Rob.Emily’s ex—the reason for all this in the first place—is now approaching us, his steps deliberate, his face a mask of confusion and disbelief. To be honest, I’d forgotten about him entirely, too wrapped up in Emily to care about anything else.

Not to mention, everyone inside the Corner Bistro is wide-eyed, their breakfasts forgotten as they stare at the spectacle unfolding just outside the door. I can feel their gazes on us—burning, curious, judgmental—but I don’t care. Not one bit. Let them look. Let Rob look. Let the whole world see.

“Emily,” Rob calls out softly, finally stopping a few feet away. His voice isn’t angry, but there’s a slight tremor in it—awkward, unsure. He glances between the two of us, clearly trying to process what he just walked in on. “Hey… uh, hi.”

At this point, Bon and the others are outside of the Bistro, not even hiding the fact that they’re eavesdropping. Or, as Emily would call it, lurking. For some reason, there are others on the sidewalks who also stop for this reunion. There’s Freida, Manang Linda, and Manong Jose, with his teenage daughter Julia. Richard and his dad are also somehow approaching the Bistro, but stop short since we’re covering the entrance.

“Hey, Rob, been a while,” Emily says, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She looks at me, and I can see that she’s flustered. Her cheeks are red, her eyes are dark, and she’s holding a hand to her lips.

I’m no better. All I want to do is go somewhere with her and finish what we started. But, for some reason, Emily has been looking to me for support. So, I put my hand on her back, gently patting it to reassure her that I’m not going anywhere.

Rob scratches the back of his neck, his eyes flicking between Emily and me. “Yeah. It has. Um…” He lets out a quiet laugh, clearly unsure of how to navigate this. “I didn’t realize you two were…uh….”

“Together.” I step in without hesitation, my voice calm but firm. “Yeah, we are,” I say. The words come out a little sharper than I intend, but I can’t help it. The last thing I want is for Rob to make her feel more awkward than she already does.

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