Hard To Love (a Josh Hutcherson Fan Fiction)

Chapter 27

Song of the Chapter: Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol

(NC-17 towards the end)

Stella's POV

One lesson that I have learned so far in life is that the most memorable people are the ones who love you when you aren't very loveable to begin with. I could never forget the few people who cared for me in New York like Ted and Ryder, and Josh was definitely going to be a permanant scar on my memory. Though I will never understand why they all try to love me like they do, I see now that they always will. 

I look down at Josh who is fast asleep with his head on my stomach and his arms wrapped tightly around my waist. He clings onto me like a child with his teddy bear, or like a 7 year old clings to his mother at Disney World, the type of grip that is holding on with fear of it slipping away, never to be seen again. But its this grip that makes me feel like I am needed, like I have finally found something that I can cling onto just as tightly, without the fear of losing it. 

I run my fingertips through his newly blonde hair and smile to myself. Even when I thought my relationship with Collin was the best thing I had ever had, this right now makes that relationship, and all other past relationships, look like child's play. The difference between them and this is that I need him just as bad as he needs me, unlike the past where I was putting 100% effort in only to get 10% back. 

A teacher once told me, well he told the class which included me, "here is the world, beautiful and terrible things will happen. Do not be afraid." This quote meant nothing to me at the time, because I only thought that terrible things could happen to me, and I had every reason to be afraid of what might come next. Whether it would have been the sting of a palm on my cheek, or of course losing someone dear to me, I was always scared of what was going to happen next. But now I see that he was right, beautiful things will happen. Josh is the most beautiful thing that has happened to me, and not just in physical appearance.

I notice the change of lighting in the room indicating that the sun is preparing itself to shine down upon the world for yet another day of work and light. I only got maybe an hour of sleep, and I am exhausted, but there is no way I will be able to sleep now with the up and coming sun. 

I slide out of Josh's grip and he slightly moans. I squint and clench my teeth, but he rolls over and shoves his face back into a pillow. I let out a sigh of relief, tiptoe out of the room, and close the door lightly behind me. I notice that Nolan is gone from the living room, Corie must have came before work to get him.

I go into the kitchen and fix a cup of tea and sit out on the porch with Driver beside me, the crisp morning air filling my lungs. 

It's nice to be back here. The sun shining through the trees that surround Josh's house, birds chirping, far enough away from the city that you can't hear the constant car horns. Peaceful. 

My thoughts are interupted when I hear a voice behind me belonging to Andre, "You rise early." 

"Who's to say I ever went to sleep.." I say softly and smile and pat the chair next to me, "What time did you get home?" I ask. 

He looks at his watch, "about five minutes ago. I stayed at a friends. When did you get home?" 

"About midnight," I sigh, "How was he when I was gone?" 

"Josh?" he asks, I nod, "Oh he was a bit jumpy everytime the phone rang, and he checked his phone about every two seconds, but other than that he was alright." 

I shake my head side to side, "weird." 

"Yeah, he's an odd one." he laughs. 

I shake my head again, "no, I mean having someone care that much." I look Andre in the eyes.