Ride Along ✅

21. Comforting

"Stay away from her" I demand. He scoffs, rolling his eyes.

"You and I are in the same boat dude. You can't fuck her because she's too young and I can't because-" he pauses. "Well actually" he laughs. I roll my eyes.

"Just leave her alone. You had your fun-."

"I haven't even begun my fun" he cuts me off. "You both are going to regret ever fucking with me."

"But you won't hurt her" I remind him.

"Not physically but emotionally" he shrugs. "I think losing you would be a way to bring her back to me." My blood boils as I step towards him.

"You wouldn't even get her over my dead body" I spit angrily. He laughs but I don't back down. "You come near her again and you'll be sorry."

"Like I'm afraid of you" he laughs. "You can't protect her 24/7" he smirks.

"I swear-."

"It'll be glorious. Getting you when you least expect it. She'll finally think that she's getting her happy ending and I'll be there to remind her who that happy ending really includes."

"Good luck with that" I reply snippily.

"I'm gonna get her back. Just you wait and see" he smirks, looking up at her window before disappearing down the street.

~ 🚔 ~

His drunk contradictions have my head spinning the whole way home. Between his insistence that he wouldn't hurt her, to his promise to get her back, and all the way to his threat directed at me to hit her where it mattered most. Her heart. I pull up to my place and head inside, placing my keys on the entry table before walking over to my fridge to look for something to make for dinner. I grab a beer and sigh, realizing I really need to actually go grocery shopping. I close the fridge door and wander into my living room, plopping down on the couch and turning in the television. The news blares from my speakers and after turning it down to a much more reasonable level eleven I sit back to relax. The top story is the drug bust and I sigh, taking a long swig of my beer. Everyone was insisting I was a hero yet I felt the furthest from it.

I need something to get my mind off of all of this. I shut off the television and take another long swig of my beer, nearly emptying the bottle before wandering to my bathroom. I strip down and start the shower, stepping under the steady stream of water. My mind quickly runs off with thoughts of Maya and I let it, allowing my worries to slip away for a steamy moment.

~ 🚔 ~

I can't sleep. I swear I didn't hear Josh leave until almost ten minutes after he climbed out my window and I was growing more and more paranoid. I climb out of bed, gather my comforter and my bobble head before moving to the living room. I place Bobby onto the coffee table before making myself comfortable on the couch. I take a deeo, content breath as I relax against the cushions. I couldn't sleep in my room, I just couldn't. I allow my eyes to flutter open but that proves to be a mistake when I swear I see a figure standing in front of my window. I sit up quickly and reach for my phone beside Bobby, dialing Josh's number.

"Hello" he answers breathlessly.

"Hey" I reply awkwardly.

"I just got out of the shower" he says as way of explanation for why he's oit of breath. "What's up? It's past midnight."

"I think I saw Aiden outside the window. I moved to the living room but I just. I don't feel safe. What if he breaks in?"

"Sweetheart take a breath" he instructs. "Lie down."

"Josh-."

"Lie down" he instructs. I sigh, doing as he asks. "Do you have a television in the room?"

"Yea" I reply weakly.

"Good" he replies. "Turn it on, turn on something mindless, something that makes you laugh" he says. I do as he asks, flipping through the channels until I stumble upon That 70s Show.

"Okay."

"Now close your eyes" he says. I let my eyes flutter shut and a smile pulls at my lips. "Just clear your mind. Focus on my voice and the sound of your show. There's nothing else. Just me and your favorite show. It's like we're on an island."

"With cable?" I joke making him chuckle.

"It's a high class island. Don't question it."

I take a deep breath, a smile pulling at my lips. "Mkay."

"I'm not gonna hang up until I know you're okay" he says softly.

"Good" I reply before drifting off to the sound of his voice.