Learning to Fall (A Josh Hutcherson Fanfiction)

Chapter 16

Arianna’s POV

How could I have almost let go of this guy? This man who blew off interviews and pissed off his manager just to be there for me. The man who was completely honest and had the guts to say what he had to say to my face.

The man who says he loves me.

It not that I don’t love Josh, I do. I just couldn’t form the words. I know that’s a stupid excuse but it’s true. I really couldn’t say it and that just proved to me that I’m not there yet.

After everything I told him, that not even half the house knows about, I have developed stronger feelings for him. Everything just seems right when I’m with him.

Could I really be his girlfriend? I mean, he travels A LOT and I don’t know if I could handle that. He’s leaving tomorrow morning.  And it’s not like I could go with him. I have to go back to my apartment and schooling with Chloe. I just don’t know, and we haven’t really talked about what lies ahead.

“Josh?” I asked the squinty man next to me as he was looking at his computer screen.

“Yea?” he stopped what he was doing and looked up at me. When I didn’t answer he noticed something was wrong and he sat up, pulling me into his arms. “What’s wrong babe?”

My stomach did flips whenever he called me babe. “I want to talk about us.” He sighed and slightly smiled at me. “I mean, you leave tomorrow.” he ran his fingers threw his hair and rubbed his eyes.

“I mean, I would love for you to come with me but that would be selfish of me. You have a life and school over in Georiga.” I was hurt by his response. He was right though, I think that’s what hurt the most.

“It’s not like Georiga is somewhere you go travel a lot. Like, you’re barely there. I would never see you.” I started tearing up as I pressed my forehead to his neck, breathing in his scent.

He tightened his grip on me like he usually does. “Please. Don’t cry.”

Naturally, when you tell someone not to cry, it makes them cry more. The tears were flowing now and I could tell Josh was getting uncomfortable next to me as he was shifting his weight around and changing the grip on my side.

“Please Arianna.” I heard his voice but it just made things worse. I got up from Josh’s bed and headed to his door. I just wanted to be alone in my room. When I didn’t hear him calling me back or chasing me it made me cry even harder.

Once in my room I closed my door behind me slowly and walked over to my bed, pushed my face into my pillow trying to hide my sobs.

The truth is that he goes home tomorrow and I go home a week later. The next time he can be in NY is in 2 months and the next time I can be in NY is sometime next year for holidays. His manager never has him do interviews in Georiga and the chances of him filming something there are slim to none.

I think about all the people who have boyfriends or even husbands where they spend so much time apart. How do they get through it? How do they deal with pain of rarely seeing, face to face, and their loved ones?

“Arianna? You want to talk?” I would notice Chloe’s voice anywhere. I quickly got up off the bed and went to open the door.

She stood there and looked me over. Chloe knew not to say anything when it comes to me looking like crap, because I already knew I looked like crap. She just silently followed me into my room and sat next to me on the bed.

“So what happened? I was in my room when I started to hear you crying and then you ran into your room. And then, what is this I hear about a fight earlier? Talk to me please.” I looked at her with my swollen, puffy eyes and I felt bad. Usually, Chloe knows everything. Now she is the last to find out about everything.