My muscles ached, not from walking, just from being. From trying to keep up with everything all week. But tomorrow was Sunday, and I switched shifts with someone, so for once… I could sleep in. And someone took my shift tonight, so that was a bonus.
I stretched, rolling onto my back, staring at the ceiling.
Joshua was sweet today.
That’s new.
It… suited him.
Kind of.
Doesn’t matter.
It was just a train ride. A walk. Nothing else.
Still—
My chest felt lighter than it should have. I kept replaying the way he said princess when he woke me up, the way his voice sounded different, low, not sharp. Like he was scared ofbreaking something fragile. And the way he carried my bag without asking. The way he slowed down so I wouldn’t trip.
No one’s ever done that for me before.
I pressed my hand against my chest, trying to calm the little flutter that shouldn’t be there. It was weirdly comfortable with him today, quiet, calm, not forced. Like maybe the silence between us wasn’t always bad.
I exhaled slowly, letting the air leave my lungs until my eyes started to close.
Joshua Lockhart.
Cold, rude, impossible Joshua.
Was sweet today.
Weird.
Confusing.
…Nice.
But… it was different from Miles.
I don’t know how different, just… different.
Miles was warm in a way that was easy to love. He talked too much, smiled too widely, and said things that made you believe the world wasn’t that bad. He made it easy to fall, slow, soft, gentle.
Joshua wasn’t like that.
He was not gentle.
He was cold, sharp edges, blunt words, heavy silences. But when he was real, like he was today, it felt safe. Not the fairytale kind of safe, just… real.
It’s weird.
I shouldn’t like it. I don’t think I do.But it felt… grounding.
Miles made me feel like I was floating.
Joshua made me feel like I was standing still.
And maybe that was what was confusing, because maybe standing still wasn’t so bad.
