the boy on the bridge ✔️

31. date boy

Chapter 31 — date boy

It is 12.56 am and Josh is still turning and tousling in his bed, unable to sleep. He has settles in his bed hours before, and yet his mind refuses to rest.

He keeps wondering what Elliot will be doing right then. He wonders if Elliot went to the bridge. Is he upset that Josh didn't go?

Technically, Josh wasn't lying — he did have his homework to do. But he finished it in less than an hour. And school work has never stopped him from sneaking out before, no matter if it's to see Elliot or just to go to the bridge. What changed now?

No, why did anything have to change?

Josh picks up his phone, and goes to the message thread between him and the bridge boy. The last text is sent by Elliot in reply to Josh's lame excuse of not going to the bridge.

BRIDGE BOY :–
okay. dont worry about it😊

Josh stares at the screen until the light starts to burn his eyes and he can't see the letters anymore. He blinks, clearing his vision and stares at the screen once again, especially at the attached emoji face. Is that supposed to mean something? Maybe he sent it as a passive-aggressive symbol; but that doesn't seem like Elliot.

Josh knows that as usual it's his overthinking taking over, but that doesn't mean he can stop it. He cannot stop thinking and forming all these obscure ideas in his head and it's impossible to for him to go to sleep now. He knows he's not going to be able to sleep, at least not until he sees Elliot again and is assured that everything is fine between them.

He pushes himself up, and lets out a muffled groan. What am I doing? he wonders to himself, carding a hand through his hair. This is ridiculous. Beyond ridiculous.

He kicks away the sheets and gets out of his bed, looking for his shoes and putting them on, a decision clear and made in his head.

He likes Elliot. Elliot likes him. That's great, but that doesn't mean anything has to change between them, not unless they wanted to, and Josh quite likes how things already are between them. He doesn't why he always has to overthink and sabotage things for himself.

But not this time. He won't allow it. He's going to the bridge. He can only hope Elliot is there too.

⋘⋙

"Elliot," Josh voice comes out as a mere breath.

And it is a breath of pure relief.

Elliot is still there. He hasn't left.

The brunet turns around, clear surprise registered across in his features as Josh bent, hands on his knees, panting — the blond ran all the way to the bridge, not caring who might have seen him. All that mattered to him was getting to the bridge as fast as he can.

"Golden boy," Elliot is surprised but that doesn't stop him from smiling, his dimples adorning both sides of his cheeks, "What are you doing? I thought you had–,"

"Homework?" Josh completes his sentence, standing up. He shrugs, walking towards Elliot and sitting down beside him. A few beats later, "Did you really believe that?" he grimaces.

Elliot purses his lips as if in thought, and then slowly starts shaking his head, "No. Not really,"

"How come you didn't call me out then?"

The brunet lifts his shoulders, "I dunno. I just thought maybe um... okay, I'm only admitting this because I want to be honest with you. I thought maybe you were regretting me already,"

Josh coughs out a scoff, "Regretting you? Really? As if that's possible,"

Another shrug from the bridge boy.