Chapter 16
Sixteen
Reegan
What. The. Fuck.
I stared at the beautiful woman wearing Josh’s clothes, coming from Josh’s bedroom, clearly doing the walk of shame, and wanted to scream. Or run. Or something.
But I deserved an explanation. Maybe there was one. Maybe he wasn’t lying when he said he was a one woman at a time man. Maybe he wasn’t screwing me and someone else at the same time.
Or maybe he was, and I was the only one who thought there was a problem with that. I’d never slept around much. When I was with someone, it was just that person. Josh said he was the same, but he could have been lying. Or there was an explanation. I hoped there was an explanation.
No one was talking. They were staring at me. Waiting for me to say something.
“I didn’t realize I was interrupting something,” I finally choked out.
He drew a breath and released it slowly. “You weren’t. This isn’t what it looks like.” There was no inflection to his voice. The flat tone was unlike anything I’d heard from him, and it made me take notice.
I shifted my gaze to the woman. She was pretty. Her blonde hair hung in wet chunks to her breasts. She looked vaguely familiar, but so did half the town. I mentally refused to compare us, knowing it didn’t matter. She was beautiful, but I believed I was, too.
Besides, she wasn’t the one who mattered. Josh was the connection between us. He was the one we were both there for.
And he was watching me. Waiting for me to say something. Do something.
I replayed our conversations. He wasn’t a cheater. I couldn’t wrap my head around him being a cheater or a liar. There was another explanation.
I extended my hand and approached the woman. “Hi. I’m Reegan. I’m staying with my friend next door. With Ashlyn. I’m here for the summer.”
She glanced at Josh, then shook my hand, a shocked look on her face. “I’m Christy. And I know who you are.”
“You do? Sorry. Of course you do. Small town.”
Christy shrugged. “And Josh has been talking about you.”
“He has?” My eyebrows shot up.
“Christy lives next door. We grew up together. We’ve been friends forever. She…” He hesitated.
I looked back at him, but he was looking at Christy. I turned back to her, and she nodded, rolling her lips in. She looked like she was about to cry.
“Her dad’s been sick. He died yesterday, and she didn’t want to be alone. Nothing happened, Reegan. I swear.”
I ignored Josh and focused on Christy. “I’m so sorry about your dad.” I took a step toward her. “Can I…” I shook my head. “I know we literally just met, but can I hug you?”
Christy breathed a watery laugh and nodded.
I wrapped my arms around the woman I’d known for a few seconds and felt her tremble. I squeezed her tighter, feeling the moment when she exhaled. Her hands tightened on my shirt, and she released a quiet sob.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, pulling back. She wiped her eyes with her thumbs and drew a shaky breath.
“Why are you apologizing?”
“For crying all over you. And for being here. I know you’ve been seeing each other, and I should have gone home last night.
I know how this looks, but he’s like my brother.
He insisted I sleep in his room, but he slept out here.
Nothing has ever happened between us, and it never will.
We are just friends. Only friends. That’s all we’ve ever been, and I’m not—”
I put my hand on hers to stop her rapid gesturing. “I believe you. And…” I shrugged, looking back at Josh. “I trust him.”
“You do?” he blurted.
I nodded. “I do.”
His face twisted into a confused expression.
“I should go,” Christy said. “I’ll talk to you later, Josh.”
“We were going to go out on his boat later. Do you want to join us?” I asked Christy as she moved toward the door.
She shook her head. “No, I’ve intruded enough.”
“Ashlyn is coming, too. You’re not intruding. It might help to be around people today.”
Christy slid a look to Josh, then forced a smile for me. “I’ll think about it. Thanks. It was nice to meet you.”
“You, too, Christy. And I’m so sorry.”
She rolled her lips in and swallowed roughly, then nodded and let herself out.
I turned to Josh, seeing the stiff set of his shoulders. His gaze was on the island between us. His eyebrows were pinched together. He leaned back, arms crossed, resting against the cabinets.
“Nothing happened,” he repeated.
“I said I believe you.”
“Why?”
I moved closer to him. “When Rob left, I came here to be with Ashlyn. When I got dumped, she came to see me. That’s what friends do. You’re there for each other. Why would I be upset that you were there for a friend you’ve known forever?”
“I just…”
“I’m guessing you knew her dad well.”
Josh nodded slowly.
“Are you okay?”
He smiled sadly and shook his head. “Not really.”
I walked over to him and hugged him. He unfolded his arms and wrapped them around me. He held on tightly to me. His body trembled just slightly, but I could feel his emotions.
Loss was something that bonded people. We all experienced it.
As a teacher, I’d had more than a few students who went through a major loss while in my classroom or shortly after they left.
Losing a parent, grandparent, sibling, or close friend took a toll on people.
And being strong for one person while suppressing your own grief was never easy.
“What happened to him?” I asked.
“Lung cancer,” Josh said, pulling back. “He was never a smoker, but he coached hockey. The doctors think it was the fumes from the ice-cleaning equipment. He’s been the coach for as long as I can remember.
Just about every kid who grew up here played hockey.
Not all of them stuck with it, but everyone knows Coach. ”
“It sounds like he was loved and respected.”
Josh nodded. “Very much.”
I stood back as he moved farther away from me.
“Why aren’t you yelling at me?”
“Would that make you feel better? If I yelled at you?”
“No, but I… I expect it.”
“Honestly, my first instinct was to be angry. To yell. To walk away.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“The tone of your voice.”
“What?”
“When you said it wasn’t what it looked like, your tone told me you’d said those words before. Many times. And were never believed. I chose to believe you.”
He stared at me, watching me carefully. “Thank you.”
“I’m so sorry about…”
“Jack. I call him Coach.”
“I’m sorry about Coach.”
“Thanks. It’s… We knew it was coming, but it didn’t make it easier.”
“I don’t think loss is ever easy. Was it okay I invited her out today? I should have asked you, but it seemed like maybe she shouldn’t be alone.”
“Yeah, it was a good idea. She’s going to say no because she doesn’t want to make things harder for us, but—”
“She’s one of your best friends. How would not knowing her make things harder?”
A laugh popped out of his mouth. “I guess you only being here for the summer makes everything different. Hannah never wanted to know her. Christy is a big part of why my marriage ended.”
My eyebrows tugged together. “Because you have a female best friend?”
Josh nodded.
“That makes no sense to me. But I also can’t understand why any woman would let you go.” I wrapped my arms around his waist and tilted my head for a kiss.
He kissed me softly. “You continue to surprise me.”
“I hope in a good way.”
He nodded. “Lots of good ways.”
“Good.” I eyed the French toast. “Any chance I can steal some of your breakfast? You should take some over to Christy. I’m guessing this was for her.”
“Yeah. I… I’m sorry I forgot about you coming over this morning.”
“You had much more important things going on. And I have batteries,” I teased him as I pulled away.
He grabbed my hand and tugged me back into his arms. One hand went to my jaw, tilting my head to suit him as he devoured me. His tongue delved between my lips with zero resistance, tempting and teasing me to forget about my vibrator and anything else on my mind and focus only on Josh.
But I couldn’t. I’d never lost a parent, but I’d lost my grandfather when I was in high school and knew how badly it hurt. I withdrew from Josh and smiled at him. “I promise, I’m not mad. But you should go talk Christy into joining us today. Bring her breakfast. Check on her.”
“You’re too good to be true.”
I shook my head. “Not even close.”
He kissed me softly, lingering against my lips without dipping inside for a taste. “Thank you for understanding.”
“Anyone who doesn’t is a fool. I’ll see you at eleven?”
“Yeah, that works.”
I walked toward his door, but he called out.
“What did Ashlyn say about us?”
I cringed. “I haven’t told her yet.”
He chuckled. “So I need to keep my hands to myself today?”
I shook my head. “No. I’m going to tell her this morning.”
“If you don’t want—”
“I do,” I said, walking back over to him and stopping his words with a kiss. “I want to tell her. I don’t have any reason to hide us. It’s always been about protecting her feelings, not hiding mine.”
He nodded, kissing me back. “I trust you, too, Reegan. I want you to know that.”
My chest warmed with his words. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”
“I’ll be the one in the purple bikini.”
His face morphed with a salacious grin. “Yeah?”
I laughed. “I do have one. I’m not sure I’ll wear it, but—”
“Wear it. Please. I’ll do anything.”
I chuckled. “No bribery necessary.”
“I can’t wait,” he said, adjusting himself. “Are you spending the night?”
“I was planning on it.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” He approached me with a look in his eyes that said we wouldn’t make it to his boat if he caught me.
I squealed and ran to the door. “I’ll see you at eleven!”
His laughter followed me outside. I was halfway across the yard to Ashlyn’s when a sharp whistle broke the air. I turned back and saw him watching me from his kitchen window.
I laughed and waved, maybe adding a little extra sway to my hips.
I was still smiling when I walked into Ashlyn’s house and came face-to-face with my bestie.
“Where were you?” Ashlyn asked, taking in my expression. “What were you doing?”