BF(F?): A Josh Richards Fanfiction *completed*

27

Josh and I sat in a comfortable silence for the rest of the ride home, and I somehow felt at ease. There was the nagging voice at the back of my head, constantly reminding me not to let my guard down with Nessa, but I tried my best to ignore it.
We pulled into Josh's driveway, and I noticed that my mom's car was missing. "She's not home," I observed, nodding towards my own driveway. "Did you want to come in?"
He smiled at me. "I would love to. There's a lot that we should talk about."

We went inside, sitting down in the living room across from each other. "Well," I sighed, crossing my legs underneath me as I got comfortable, "what do we need to talk about?"
"What does this mean for us, Haley?" His expression became demure, and I could tell that he was anxiously awaiting my response.
"I'm not sure," I shrugged. "Are you willing to risk our friendship? Is this something that we actually want or is it just alluring because it feels forbidden?"

His face dropped. "I don't want you to feel pushed into anything. If you want to do this and take it slow, that's fine. If you want to do this and make it quick, that's fine. If you don't want to do this at all, that's also fine. I am ready to accept whatever your answer is," he rambled. I could tell that that wasn't the truest thing he's ever said, but regardless, he would work on it if that's what I wanted.

I crossed the room, straddling his legs on the other couch. "I want to be with you," I whispered, gently pressing my lips to his. "I think that I've wanted this for a long time, and that's why no one else worked out."
"Are you sure?" he asked, one strong hand on the small of my back with the other rested casually on one of my thighs.

I pushed my lips back to his, hoping that this form of answer would be sufficient enough for him. He kissed me deeper, and I opened my mouth slightly in surprise as he shifted my entire body to ensure that no one experienced discomfort.
He took that opportunity to deepen the kiss, and I felt more passion than I had with anyone else, Jaden included.

As he kissed down my jaw, pulling my hoodie off for easier access to my collarbones, my phone rang. "Ignore it," I whispered breathlessly. "Nothing else matters when I'm with you."
The call went to voicemail, and Josh continued to kiss my neck as I ran my fingers through his hair.
When my phone rang a second time, Josh found it a little harder to ignore, pushing himself off of me and readjusting himself as he leaned across the coffee table to grab it. "You're fucking kidding," he groaned, gently tossing it to me. "This had better be good."

"Hello?" I answered without looking at the caller ID.
"You cheating skank," Jaden's voice rang out. I hadn't spoken to him in a month, and his words stung, bleaching any fond memories I was holding onto.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, taking a deep breath to keep my voice from shaking.
He chuckled wryly. It was hard for me to believe that that same chuckle had once made my heart skip a beat. "I saw the video. I can't believe that you tried to place all of the blame on me. Your attention was elsewhere, so it's only fair that mine was, too."

Once again, a million thoughts were racing through my mind. "What video?" I asked without thinking.
"The video of you and Josh," he replied. "I can't believe you. Either of you, honestly. You disgust me. Have fun with him. Nessa has let on that you'll be very disappointed," he spat out before hanging up the phone.

I tossed my phone back on the couch, frantically searching for my hoodie before I made it into the kitchen. "I need a fucking drink," I sighed.
"Who was that? What did they just say to you?" Josh asked protectively, following me into the kitchen, matching me stride for stride.
I ignored him, pulling myself up onto the counter so that I could reach the liquor cabinet. Still silent, I yanked the bottle of Jose Cuervo out of it, opening and taking a big swig before leaning my head against the cabinet and pulling my knees to my chest.
"You have to talk to me," he whispered, resting his head on my knees as he stood in front of me. "No more secrets, remember?"

I groaned, putting my head in my hands. "I don't want to do this right now. Why can't I win just one damn time?"
"Hales, look at me," he said. His voice was calm, and I felt my chest loosen. "Hales," he repeated, putting a hand on my forearm.
I peeked through my fingers like a child trying to see a surprise, and I met his piercing blue eyes.
Since my mom had told me about how he looks at me, I was noticing it a lot more frequently. "What?" I whispered back, trying to avoid the tears that I knew were on their way.

He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me off the counter. I reached back for the bottle of tequila as Josh shot me a look, but I didn't care. It was Saturday, I was upset, and I hadn't gotten the chance to fully enjoy my drunkenness the night before.

He sat down on the couch, pulling me into his lap and holding me as the sobs racked through my entire body. "Whenever you're ready, love. We're on your timeline."
I sniffled, nestling into the crook of his neck. "I love you, Josh," I said, tasting the words in my mouth very differently than I ever had before. "Promise me that no matter what I'm about to say, it won't change anything between us."

He looked confused but agreed.
"Someone took a video of us at the mall, and Jaden just called about it."