Inferno Part 4

~87~ Glow Of The Moon

Josie's POV

The rest of the night is tense as Sasha and Mason ignore each other. At least Sasha came downstairs, though. The minute she did, Mason squeezed my hand and whispered "thank you" in my ear as I passed.

Dylan and I stay up most of the night watching TV together, realizing without voicing out loud that our time together is just about over.

Surprisingly, the crippling blow I'm expecting to feel doesn't happen. Sure, there's sadness on the horizon as we wait for the sun to set on this four-day reunion...But for once I don't feel like I'll be left in complete darkness.

For once I will rely on the glow from the moon that I'm learning is just as beautiful.

"Will you come visit me this summer?" He asks lazily as our movie ends and we're trying to decide if we should start another one or just go to bed.

"Can I?"

"Yeah, I just need to know ahead of time."

"Then yes! Of course I will. Are you not coming back at all this summer?"

He nods as he stretches out and pulls me against him. "Yeah, I hope so unless I get deployed...but I'd like to see you more than just a few times a year."

"Think you'll get deployed?" I ask with a pit in my stomach.

I feel him shrug. "Maybe. There's been some rumors about some things going on oversees."

When I stay quiet, he kisses my hair. "At the end of last summer I was almost afraid to leave you...I thought about staying as part time. I'm not afraid to leave you anymore, Jose. If I get deployed, you're going to be fine. The way you helped Sasha tonight? You don't need me to take care of you. You're strong, Jocelyn."

"I know I am," I nod into his chest. "That doesn't mean I want you deployed, though."

"Well I'm not right now and we still have one more day together. What are we doing tomorrow?"

I blow out a breath. "We have that party tomorrow night that Ellie is throwing. I kinda just want to hang out here."

"Then that's what we'll do," he says as he turns on the new Encanto movie I wanted to see.

~*~

I wake up to Drew tapping me on the nose. When I stretch out, something under my head starts to move.

"Shit!" I screech as Drew's mouth drops open and he covers it with his hands.

I look down at what was moving, and it's Dylan.

We must've fallen asleep on the couch last night. Dang my neck is sore.

"What's wrong, Little Dude?" Mason asks as he walks in, tucking his shirt into his pants as he goes.

"I've got bad news daddy...."

"What's that?" He chuckles.

"Josie needs spanked!"

"Uh..Why?" Mason asks as he gets his pants situated and looks at Drew.

"Cause she said shit!"

Dylan starts laughing sleepily as Mason shoots me a look. "Andrew, Josie is an adult and can say what she wants. Don't you say that again, hear me?"

"I was just sayin' what she said."

"...Well don't. Hurry and eat your breakfast before you get yourself into trouble."

When Drew scampers off, Mason looks at me. "Maybe less cursing around the child, huh?"

"Sorry. He woke me up and I didn't know I fell asleep with Dylan. It scared me when he started moving."