He always calls me by my full name. Curiosity finally got the best of me one day, and I asked why. He told me it was because of a comic he read as a kid and how he always had a crush on the girl. Her name was Veronica. The only difference is that I have red hair, where hers was black.
"It's okay, I was up." It’s a lie. Kinda. I just woke up.
"Mind if I ask for that full story?" He scoots a little closer to me, his arm stretching along the back of the couch as the tips of his fingers touch my shoulder ever so slightly.
"Long story short, I like him. However, I like someone else too, and he made it very clear that he doesn't share, and I have to make a decision. It’s either him or we’re nothing."
He looks at me, like he's taking in every inch of me, thinking about what his next words should be. He pulls his lower lip into his mouth, letting his teeth glide along it before finally speaking.
"I'm sorry. Who is the other person? I think I have an idea."
"Do you?"
"Yep. We all knew you and Luke were up to mischief with each other. Hell, I was even hoping to get to know you better. You’re hot, but I also feel a connection to you that I had hoped we could’ve explored. But all the shit with Ash and the club, then Hank and Jace fighting for their lives, seemed to overshadow it."
I groan at his words. Sadly, I thought I was doing it internally until he speaks up. "I'm sorry. Did I say something wrong?"
"Only being the third person now to tell me that. Let me guess, you don't share either? You want me to choose if I want to see if there's something there between us?" I huff. My voice rasing slightly but not enough to have my brother barreling into the room guns blazing.
I don’t stop there, I let it all out, rambling like a madwoman, even jumping the gun and assuming he wants me now. If he wanted me like he said he did, then when shit calmed down, why didn’t he pursue me? Did he not see the signs that I was into him as well? How my heart would race when he came to the house to care for Hank. The way I couldn’t stop looking at him.
Josh reaches out, putting the palm of his hand over my mouth as I continue to mumble into it until I finally stop. But his hand stays.
"Good, now that you're quiet and I have your attention, I can continue. First, I'm the third, so I'd take it that Luke and Hank were the first two you asked and who told you that. Also, are you telling me I have a chance? Cause I thought I lost it."
I'm still for a moment, before my body and mind betray me by nodding my head. The corners of his lips turn up as his smile beams back at me.
"I like that. I've wanted you for a while, Veronica, but I was willing to step back, if I had to. It seemed like you and Luke had calmed down while you were caring for Hank. I heard through the grapevine that Hank had feelings for you, and I’m not blind. I saw how he looked at you.” Josh reaches out and pushes the strands of hair that have fallen into my face, behind my ear. “I hadn’t expressed my intentions so I stepped back, biting my tongue and letting Hank have you. You both seemed happy, and I knew he was able to be with you more than I could. My schedule at the hospital is so crazy.”
I bite the inside of my lip, because this can’t be real. He actually likes me. Wanted me. But didn’t think he could give me the time I needed. I start to try and speak again, but he places a finger over my lips as he shakes his head. He’s clearly not finished talking.
“But you see, Veronica, there's also something you should know about me. My mom taught me how to share, and I just so happen to like doing that."
My breath hitches at his words as he removes his finger from my mouth, replacing it with his lips, kissing me so deeply that I melt like snow under the intensity of the sun. My lips open for him, allowing his tongue into my mouth as it moves against mine.
I'm so caught up in the moment that I don't hear the rattling of my doorknob until it opens. The sound breaks the moment Josh and I are having as we pull away from each other.
"Are you fuckin' kiddin' me, Vee? I came over here to talk, thinkin' you were just as upset as me, and I catch you here, not with Luke"—he gestures to the man standing beside him and then to the other man sitting beside me—"but with anotherbrother. Guess you're turning into just as big a whore as the ones at the clubhouse. Are you taking a shot with all of us? Figurin’ out which one has the best cock?" Hank’s words hit me hard, cutting me right to the core, breaking my heart into tiny pieces.
Rage boils inside me. How dare he. Hank of all people knows me better than that. Suddenly I wish I had a knife in my hand so I could toss it at him, striking him right between the eyes.
"Get the fuck out of my house!" I hiss, as I stand and move closer to him. Josh follows close behind me.
"Don't worry, I'm gone." He turns and leaves, just as the tears start to fall, sliding down my cheeks. He slam shis shoulder into Luke as he passes him, knocking him backward.
This is just what I didn’t want. The anger between them. The hostility.
"Vee." Luke's voice is so tender.
"You can get out of here too, Luke. You couldn't tell me you wanted something with me until you found out someone else did. I'm done with all of you!" I shriek, as I turn, crashing into Josh's chest, burrowing my head into it, trying desperately to block out everything.
His strong arms wrap around me, giving me just a small bit of comfort as I break down.
“Luke, I think maybe you should go, give her a chance to calm down.” Josh’s arm holds me firm against him as he speaks calmly to Luke.
“Josh—”
“Luke, come on brother, give her some time.”
