Page 49 of Thick & Thin

I ignored her, making my way to Josh’s room. It was a path I had taken countless times before. Genie called out my name, but I kept moving until I found myself crashing through Josh’s door.

He was standing next to his window looking out at the pasture behind their place. His arm was in a cast, and there was dark bruising beneath his eyes. A large cut pulled at the side of his mouth, and a bandage covered part of his chin. He turned toward me with wide eyes and shook his head.

“Josh.” His name escaped my lips like a prayer. “Why didn’t you want to see me?” I asked, feeling angry with him yet relieved to see him at the same time.

He shook his head, his eyes emotionless as he looked back at me. “It’s not a good time, Jen.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, refusing to leave.

“I tried to stop her,” Genie huffed behind me. “But you know how stubborn Jenny can be.”

At his sister’s words, the side of his mouth tilted into a ghost of a grin. “Yeah. It’s okay, Genie. Just give us a minute.”

I shut the door in Genie’s face, hearing her bitch behind the thick wood.

“I can’t believe you,” I said, throwing my arms in the air in frustration. “We’ve been through everything together. Did you really think I wasn’t going to push my way in here?”

“This is different,” he whispered.

I had never seen Josh so defeated. His skin was pale, and his eyes were dead and full of sadness. He looked everywhere but directly in my eye.

“You’re damn right it’s different, but it doesn’t matter. I’m here. I’ll always be here for you, Josh.”

He dropped his gaze and shook his head. “Please leave. I don’t want to see you right now.”

I sucked in a breath as if he had struck me, but instead of lashing out, I nodded and backed away toward his door.

“Is this because of what I did?”

His brows pulled low in confusion. “What did you do?”

“I was on top. I mean, if you didn’t want to, then you should have …”

“Oh my God!” He flipped the switch, going from sad and soft-spoken to angry. “Sex with you is the last thing on my fucking mind, Jenny! Get out!”

“But, Josh—” I started.

“I said get out!” He cut me off, and I flinched at his words.

He had never talked to me like that.

My words were sucked out of me, the pain inside burning them before they reached my tongue. I turned away from him before he could see me cry and fled his bedroom. I heard his mom call out to me as I cut through the house toward the front door, but I didn’t respond.

The front door slammed behind me before I ran down the steps of the front porch and began to jog across the yard to the driveway. I couldn’t get away from that house and him fast enough.

I probably should have called Lilly to come and get me, but I couldn’t think straight. Instead, I ran and jogged the five miles to my house.

Dad and Devin were in the front yard when I came running up the driveway. I hadn’t even realized I was crying.

“Jenny?” my dad called out to me.

“What happened? What did he do?” Devin asked, ready for a fight without even knowing the details.

Ignoring them, I ran up the stairs to the house and through the door. I didn’t stop until I was standing in the center of the kitchen, staring back at Lilly who had Emma on her hip.

“Aunt Jenny!” Emma exclaimed with happiness.

I didn’t respond. Instead, I just stood there staring back at them.

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