Chapter 8
KILLIAN
Seeing Josie in the middle of a panic attack sent massive rounds of fear through me. I knew the signs immediately. I’d been a part of them, and on this side of them, too many times to count.
Josie was no longer an icy queen to me. But she also wasn’t the smiling, bubbly, Christmas fanatic either. She was just the girl she hid deep inside. The one I was pretty sure no one else had ever seen.
As I wrapped her up in my arms, I felt like I was no longer the man she hated, either. I was her only comfort.
Once we made it to the couch, I had convinced myself that I was going to finally tell her the truth.
I needed her to see me for me. I needed it desperately because avoiding her all the damn time wasn’t working anymore.
And I needed her to know that she didn’t have to face all of this alone.
I knew it wasn’t easy for her after losing her mom.
But I didn’t realize how much weight she was carrying.
I knew that feeling somewhat. I was the only family I had left, and I kept that shit bottled up tight, too. Henry’s a great friend for sure, but he had enough going on in his own life that I wasn’t about to dump my shit on him.
I wasn’t going to dump it on Josie either, and I knew I was being hypocritical, but I fucking meant it when I told her that she could trust me.