Billionaire's Childhood Love

III. Joshua and Hailey...Hailey and Joshua...Together Forever

The thumping in my chest is louder than ever, mentally debating whether or not I should go halfway across the country. Josh wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me a bit closer. "Take your time. You have a year, HayBug. Don't overthink it," he said gently.

I hold onto his shirt tightly, feeling his roaring heartbeat against my cheek. "I'll think about it."

When the day starts getting dark, we walk back to my house. I unlock the front door and poke my head inside. "Clear," I whisper, dragging Josh into the house. We speedily tiptoe towards my bedroom. I notice the bathroom door opening and kick Josh's stomach into the other room.

I smile, "Hi, mom."

Mom is in her striped pink pajamas. "How was your day, sweetheart?" she asks.

My toes played with one another. "Good."

"Joshua went back to his hotel?" she questioned, eyes scanning the hallway.

"Of course," I lied, chuckling anxiously as I tried my best not to look at the place where Josh hid.

She sighs, "Tell him to stop turning on the AC at night," she said, then pinch my cheeks. "I'm a detective, sweetheart. You can lie to your dad, but don't ever try pulling a quick one on me."

My hands slip behind me, fingers playing with one another. "Sorry, mom," I mumble while Josh steps out of the other room, rubbing his aching stomach.

Mom points a finger at him. "Appropriate age," she said sternly and kissed me before going back into her bedroom.

I turn my head towards Josh, tilting it lightly. "What does she mean by appropriate age?"

He puckers his lips, swaying back and forth. "I have no idea," he said, pulling me towards my room.

Josh went towards the minimum amount of clothes he sneaked into my bedroom and stripped. My face heats up, seeing his bare chest, and I turn around. I puff my cheeks; head hung low as I walk towards my closet, and grab the purple skeleton pajamas.

I walk out of the room without a single word, feeling my body heating up. I wave my hands on my face, pacing back and forth in the bathroom. "Calm down, Hailey. You saw Josh almost naked plenty of time." I bang my head on the wall, trying to stabilize my newly formed hormones.

After I take a quick refreshing shower, I open my door to see a half-naked Josh comfortably lying on the bed. He had a single arm tucked behind his head, leveling himself up while the other tapped against the screen of his phone. He inhales a deep breath, extending the lean muscles on his chest and exhaling. My eyes slowly dropped low, towards a very inappropriate part of his body, and I swallowed.

God, please have mercy on me, for I have sinned with filthy thoughts about my childhood friend.

I close my eyes, throwing the clothes into the dirty bin. I sigh, staring at the four containers Josh got me. Usually, I would lay my clothes everywhere, but he told me that it's a no-no. So, he went to the store and brought me these bins, saying how each one is for a specific clothing type.

"You're not going to bed?" he asks.

I turned around, eyes still staring at the floor, and went to turn off the light before jumping into bed. I don't think I can handle staring at him any longer.

I sneak under the sheets, release a deep breath, and then proceed with my stares at the wall. I shuffle around to make myself comfortable and close my eyes. Releasing a yawn, I rub my eyes, feeling a bit sleepy. Josh laid there, and I noticed him staring at the ceiling, even in the darkness. "Can't sleep?" I ask.