Always There || Greta Van Fleet

Chapter 18: Where We Left Off

Josh's P.O.V

I remember the first time I laid eyes on Jaime.

I ran over to her house as soon as I saw the moving truck pull up. There had been talk about us getting a new neighbor for weeks, and I was so excited to have someone else to play with. I always had Jake, but most days all he wanted to do now was play around on his guitar, and then I was left to play all by myself.

Mom said she would take me over to welcome them, so I waited by the front window all morning.
"We're gonna have to let them get settled in first, Josh." She said.
"I know, I just want to say hi and I want to know what kind of games he likes to play."
"Now, how do you know there's going to be a little boy?" She asked. "What if it's a little girl?" I shrugged.
"That's okay too. As long as she likes to play."

And like clockwork, a little girl and her mom hopped out of the van that pulled into their driveway.

That was the first time I remember feeling my heart skip a beat, suddenly feeling super nervous but also.. excited, a huge grin escaping my lips.
"Can we go now?" I asked eagerly, pulling Mom towards the door.
"Alright, alright, we can go say hello." She laughed, taking my hand. "Jake, do you wanna come with us?" He nervously nodded, following her closely, clutching the leg of her pants.

"Hi!" I said cheerfully, going over to her, reaching my hand out. She stared at me nervously before finally smiling, shaking my hand.
"Hi." She said. "My name is Jaime."
"I'm Josh. What kind of games do you like to play?"
"Um.. all kinds."
"Okay great! We can play all the time now." She nodded, now peeking over at Jake.

"Who's that?"
"That's my twin brother, Jake." She laughed.
"Why is he hiding?" I shrugged.
"He's just shy."

"Josh, we should let them get settled in." Mom called out. "You can come back over later." I hesitated for a moment, not wanting to leave her yet.
"Okay.. um.. you can come over whenever you want. Just knock on the back door and I'll come out and play."
"Okay." She laughed, going back over to her mom. I quickly made my way back into the house, watching them unpack all morning, counting down the seconds until she came back over to get me.

"Jaime, I just.. I need you to know that this isn't the alcohol talking. I have wanted this.. for as long as I could remember. You have no idea.." I said, gently caressing her face.
"I really don't." She laughed, leaning in closer. "This whole time, all I've ever wanted was for you to give me.. something, I just needed to know.. either way.. what we were."

It killed me to know that all these years, all she wanted was just.. an inkling of how I might be feeling towards her and somehow I couldn't even give her that.

"Well.. now you know." I sighed, giggling to myself. "Only took me twenty one years."
"Better late than never." She laughed, gently running her fingers up my arm. My heart was pounding now, practically beating out of my chest.

"Please stay tonight." I whispered, not wanting her to leave. "I.. I don't want you to go. Not after.. this. I just-"
"I'll stay." She said, now reaching over for the clothes I had given her last night.
"You can keep those. You.. you look good in them." I sighed, knowing that I would never look nearly as good in them as she did. She made anything look good.

"You are so beautiful, Jaime." I whispered, my eyes moving down to her lips.
"You can't look at me like that if you're not gonna kiss me." She said, staring back at me.
"I'm sorry."

She held her stare on me for a moment before finally getting up, reaching for the door.
"W-where are you going?" I asked, hoping I hadn't scared her off.
"I'm gonna go get changed." I shook my head, pushing myself up from the bed.
"No, you.. you stay here. I'll leave. It's okay." She nodded, watching me with a smile until I made my way out, shutting the door behind me.