Still the question,is she really though, echoes in my head as we get out. As Angel stands next to me, I ask him something I never thought I would.
“Can you distract Pen for me? I need to talk to Josefine alone.”
He scrunches his nose, the staring at her like she’s already inconveniencing him. “Fine but I can’t promise there won’t be any arguing.”
“It’ll just be a few minutes,” I say as we walk over to the girls.
They don’t hate each other, but they don’t care for each other either. I would say their relationship is like a brother and sister, which is great. I’d hate for Angel to get involved with my sister. Considering he’s not a relationship kind of person and Pen is.
Not that it matters. Pen got out of a relationship a few months ago and is still reeling from it.
And I trust Angel enough to know he wouldn’t touch my sister. I don’t care who he messes with, but Pen is off-limits.
“But if she pisses me off, I’m tossing her ass in the ocean,” he teases, but I hear the slight seriousness behind it.
“Don’t touch her,” I warn.
“Can’t make any promises.” I hear the smile in his voice, but I can’t threaten him anymore as we stand in front of the girls.
Pen like always is running her mouth, speaking a million words a minute while Josefine stands there listening to her. She looks like she’s absorbing it all, but she also looks like her mind is somewhere else. That’s until Angel interrupts Pen.
“I know you took my mini boxing gloves from my rearview mirror,” he accuses.
Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. He’s been saying that for a year and swears it was Pen who took them.
“It wasn’t me. Maybe it was one of your many?—”
“I’m going to check your car because I don’t believe you.” His small gold hoop earrings sway as he pivots on his heel, before she can get a word out. She follows after him, leaving Josefine and me alone.
I look at her, but I feel like I’m not really seeing her. She’s so fucking close, I could take a step and close the space between us, but at the same time, she feels so far away.
For the first time in my life, I’m speechless.
Since that night, I’ve been thinking of everything I’d say to Josefine if I ever ran into her, but now that she’s standing in front of me, I can’t open my mouth.
I find myself soaking her in, feeling a whirl of emotions that leave me feeling perplexed.
“Well, uh, good night,” she quietly says, voice low, and I almost don’t hear her.
“Wait, please don’t go.” My fingers twitch at my side, begging to touch her to make sure this is all real, but I fist them and keep them where they’re at. “I want to talk to you.”
She looks unsure, her gaze flitting to Pen and Angel before meeting mine again. “There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Please…Josie.” I heard my sister call her that. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t say it just to test it out on my tongue. It’s just as pretty as Josefine.
She raises her hand to her other arm, rubbing it up and down, before she tentatively nods. “Okay, give me a second. I need to get my groceries.”
“I’ll help you,” I offer, but she shakes her head.
“I’ve got it.” She opens the trunk and inside are five paper bags filled to the brim.
I grab them before she can reach the first one. “I know, but I want to help.”
I hear her huff frustratedly as she shuts the trunk and pushes the button on the key fob to lock her car. “You have to stop doing that.”
“Doing what?”
“Helping me. I’m not helpless,” she says as we walk side by side to the entrance of her house.
