Page 72 of Honeysuckle
Josh’s face scrunched up. "What?”
“So everyone else is allowed to make obscure pop culture references but I’m not?” I groaned.
“Well, they make ones about Star Wars… you’re talking about the royal family…” Josh laughed loudly. "Sorry, sorry.” He put his hands in the air, mocking surrender when I glared at him. “Never took you as a Queen Elizabeth junkie,” Josh teased.
I turned away from him so he couldn’t see the enjoyment that flashed across my face at the randomness of the conversation. It felt unforced and normal. Nothing like anything we’d done before.
“So why do you know so much about them?” he teased.
“Knowing the difference between Diana’s sons hardly makes me an expert.” I avoided his intense stare, searching the shelves for more candy.
“Oh my god, it’s not the Royal family, you’re a fucking Downton Abbey dork!”
“Lower your voice.” I chucked a bag of chocolate chips at him, and he caught it with a grunt.
“Admit it, Tuck!” He got louder. “You get riled up by those spoiled British brats!”
“They’re the Royal family, Joshua!” I scoffed.God, I loved that show.
“Ha!” Josh burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the aisle as I stepped closer and braced my hands on either side of the cart to stare him down. “I’ve never watched. It’s too much drama for me.”
“Seriously?” I huffed, realizing that I gave myself away.
“Say it,” he lowered his voice, and his lips pressed into a serious line. “Please, Tuck.”
“I’m a Downton Abbey dork.” I caved the second the word left his lips and hated how easily he pried it from me.
“I’m surprised you weren’t disowned sooner.” His smile returned, along with the light in his eyes. He paused and then opened his mouth again. “Have you talked to them?”
“Uh…” I let go of a nervous breath, “no.”
“Why not?” He asked me as I dropped the syrups into the cart and led him to the fruit aisle.
“Saying it out loud didn’t make me more ready to be shunned.” I rolled my eyes and grabbed some bananas.
“It’s their loss, Tuck.” There was conviction in his voice that I wasn’t expecting but it made the breath catch in my throat.
“I have dinner with them tomorrow,” I said and grabbed a package of strawberries. “Fruit,” I shook it at him.
“Sundaes can be healthy,” he mocked me. “I forgot you guys have Sunday dinner rules,” he said in an almost sad voice.
“Ella will be home, Arlo usually doesn’t get far from her and I think he’d rather commit a serious crime then bring her over to his dads, so if you don’t have plans they'll take pity on you,” I explained.
Josh nodded but I could tell that the idea of family dinners on Sundays would eat at him. I couldn’t imagine he would be rushing back into Lorette to have dinner with his mother any time soon. It made me feel a little bad to leave him sitting at the Nest but I also wasn’t in the position to bring him to mine.
That would be like bringing spectators to my death.
“I think we have enough.” I looked over the cart, ignoring the guilt that ate at me. “Let’s get back before the ice cream melts."
TUCKER
Thatevening,afterthemess from the ice cream was cleaned up and everyone had slunk off to their corners of the Nest, I climbed the stairs to our room. I curled into bed but sleep never found me, it was like the clock was mocking me, flashing hour after hour with echoing ticks to remind me that Sunday was here and I had no options left.
I was out of time.
The floorboards creaked.
“Against the wall,” Josh said quietly, and I listened without argument, curling up against the far side so he could lie down. He left a gap between us, throwing his pillow down and rolling onto his side into the mess of blankets.
