Chapter 14
CHAPTER 14
JOSIE
“ F inals are already killing me,” Marissa groans, leaning against my shoulder. Her head flops dramatically to the side, and I roll my eyes, trying to focus on the lines of my calculus book.
“Why are you freaking out?” I ask, flipping a page. “Finals are two and a half weeks away. Plenty of time to stress later.”
Marissa lifts her head just enough to give me a look of mock betrayal. “Easy for you to say, Miss Liberal Arts. Some of us are out here solving the mysteries of the universe.”
“And some of us are just trying to figure out how to pass this godforsaken STEM requirement,” I fire back, earning a snort from her.
Marissa leans over, her dark eyes glinting with mischief, and points at a problem in my calculus book. “Here, let me save you from impending doom,” she teases, sliding the notebook off the desk, and looking over the equation after scribbling a few things. “N equals 47. ”
“What?” I snap, pulling the equation out of her hands, slumping back in my chair as I look over her handiwork, that I don’t understand at all. “How do you make it look so easy?”
“It’s the physics major superpower,” she quips, tapping the side of her head. “That, and I’ve done this problem a million times. Speaking of my sweet physic brain, Devin fucking sucks! He is totally undermining me…”
Her voice fades into the background as my thoughts wander, slipping into memories of the past few weeks. Instead of burying myself in studying for finals, I’ve been spending almost all my time with Christopher. Every stolen moment, every secret glance, every heated touch… it’s like I can’t get enough of him. It’s thrilling and terrifying all at once, and I’m not sure if I’m more addicted to the way he makes me feel or the chaos of it all.
But there’s something else—something I can’t shake. I’ve been feeling off lately. Nauseous in the mornings, headaches that won’t quit, and my body’s been more sensitive than usual—which could be from the fact that Chris has been fucking me until I’m sore—and my knees are wobbly. Or it’s just stress, because no matter how much Chris may love me, which is insane, our practices have been just as intense. He says he knows my limits and for some reason I believe him, even as my nerves are catching up with me.
Marissa waves a hand in front of my face. “Earth to Josie. Calculus-induced coma already?”
I blink, shaking my head, trying to shake off the fog that’s settled in my brain. I force a laugh, but it comes out a little more strained than I’d like. “Sorry, just... distracted.”
I try to focus, willing myself to pay attention, but just as I start to lose myself in the numbers again, my phone buzzes in my lap. I glance down at the screen and my heart skips a beat. The all-caps alert screams at me:
GO GET MOM FROM AIRPORT.
My eyes widen, and I almost curse out loud—Chris has been making damn sure I don’t slip into bad habits, and I’m trying to keep things clean. “Oh, shoot!” I say instead, my voice sharp as I startle, grabbing my phone and quickly shoving it into my bag.
Marissa looks up, catching the frustrated look that crosses my face, her eyes narrowing in concern. “What’s up?”
I toss my phone into my bag, grabbing my jacket from the back of my chair. “My mom’s here. I’ve got to go pick her up from the airport,” I say, quickly gathering my things.
“Tell Mama Dukes I said hi. My dad should be here in the next two hours or so to drive me back to Boston,” Marissa adds with a grin.
I glance at her, forcing a smile. “Will do. You have a good time with your dad. I’ll catch you later.”
She winks at me. “Happy Thanksgiving,” she says with a teasing smile.
I roll my eyes, shaking my head, but I can’t help the small smile that tugs at my lips. “Yeah, yeah. See you later, Mar.”
I pull up to the airport, panic settling in my stomach. I glance at the clock on the dashboard—just barely enough time to make it to the terminal, and I’m sure I’m late.
“Oh fuck,” I curse under my breath, mentally slapping myself for cursing because Christopher will definitely punish me for it. As I peak out of the window looking around, I see my mother’s bright golden hair shining in the airport lights.
“Pull up here!” I point, directing the driver to my mother and barely waiting for the car to stop as I scramble out of the cab and toss the cash to the driver. “Thank you! Keep the change!” I call out as I rush toward my mother, ready to apologize profusely for being so late.
But as I step out onto the sidewalk, I freeze.
I spot them almost immediately—my mom, standing near the entrance, laughing at something Christopher just said. He’s holding her luggage, a neutral but amused look on his face, clearly making her laugh.
I feel my heart do a backflip in my chest. My mom, laughing like she’s known him forever, and Christopher, looking so casual and relaxed with her. Something tightens in my throat, and a weird mix of surprise and... something else... rushes through me.
I stand there for a moment, trying to process what I’m seeing. Christopher. Here. With my mom. Laughing. Like they’re... friends. A part of me is relieved, and another wants to jump on his back, wrap my legs and arms around him, and growl out mine.
"Shit," I mutter under my breath, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling creeping up on me, and deciding not to tell Chris about this curse because it is totally warranted.
My mom spots me first, a wide smile crossing her face as she waves. “Josie! There you are, baby!”
I manage to smile, though it feels a little tight. “Sorry I’m late... I lost track of time,” I force out, a little embarrassed. My mom pulls me into a hug, and the scent of caramel and rose surround me as her arms wrap around me, a feeling so familiar it makes something inside me soften.
“No worries, sweetheart,” Mom says, her voice light. But her eyes flick to Christopher, and I catch that little mischievous twinkle in them. “I was just meeting your boyfriend here. He’s been kind enough to help me with my bags. And, I have to say, he’s quite the charmer.”
Boyfriend, the word hangs in the air, heavy and unexpected. My eyes dart up to Christopher, ready to correct my mom because we haven’t defined what we are yet. But before I can say anything, he winks at me, a small, teasing smile playing at the corners of his lips. The warmth in his gaze makes the knot in my stomach loosen, and for a moment, all the worry just... slips away.
“A charmer?” I ask, raising an eyebrow, glancing at Chris.
“Just helping out with the bags, nothing special,” he says, voice smooth, and that little smile of his tugs at the corner of his lips.
“Oh hush!” Mom says, smacking his arm playfully. “He has been a complete gentleman, had a sign with my name on it and everything. Mom wiggles her eyebrows like she’s really enjoying herself, giving me that look. That look that says, We’ll talk about this later . Her eyes flick from Christopher back to me, a knowing grin spreading across her face.
Christopher lifts the bags effortlessly, nodding his head towards the parking lot. “I’ll drive you both to our house,” he says casually, like it’s no big deal, like he didn’t just imply his house is my house .
My heart stops, and I feel my face flush. “Our house?” I ask, trying to keep the shock from slipping into my voice.
Christopher raises an eyebrow, as if I am insane for thinking he is insane for calling his house, our house. “Yeah, the house. I figured you’d want to get home faster, and I’m already here, so…” His voice trails off, and he gives a shrug
The butterflies in my stomach start to swarm, and I try not to let the ridiculous grin I’m fighting escape. “Uh… yeah, okay.” I stammer, feeling my pulse race. “I mean, you don’t have to?—”
“It’s fine, can’t have your mom at a hotel when we have all that room.” He steps closer, his hand brushing lightly against mine, sending a shiver down my spine. “Let’s go.”
As he turns and walks toward the car, I’m left standing there, my mind spinning. This man—this guy who picked up my mom from the airport, carried her bags, and now he's taking her to his house? My thoughts are all over the place, struggling to make sense of it. How did we get here so fast?
“Josie?” My mom’s voice breaks through my haze, and I blink, trying to pull myself back to reality.
“What?” I answer a little too quickly, still not fully grounded.
“You okay?” She asks, a teasing smile tugging at her lips. “You look a little... distracted.”
I force a smile, but I can already feel the heat creeping up my neck. “Yeah, yeah. Totally fine.”
Taking a deep breath, I push myself into motion and start walking toward the car, my legs feeling heavier than usual. I follow Christopher, my heart thudding in my chest as we head toward his car. Toward our house.