the boy on the bridge ✔️

38. ready boy

Chapter 38 — ready boy

"Do you think he'll be home?" Josh asks as soon as his sister reaches his car.

"Who?" she asks, opening the door and getting in.

"Father, who else," he scoffs, getting in as well.

Josie shrugs, "He said he'd be flying in today morning, so he might be,"

"Can you call mother and ask?"

"Why?"

"Just ask, Josie. Please,"

"Okay, but first tell me where were you last night?"

"With Zach,"

"Really?" Josie asks an eyebrow raised — she already knows the answer, but still chooses ask her brother anyway.

"What day is it today?" Josh throws his hands in the air, before realising he was driving, gripping the steering wheel again, "Annoy Josh till he dies of embarrassment day?"

"Aww you're blushing,"

"I'm not," Josh says, even though he can feel that his cheeks are warm. "And I'm not discussing my... copulation matters with you,"

Josie snorts, and then burst out into a full laughter, "Oh my god, I can't believe you just said that to me," she heaves out, clutching her stomach. "And also, don't worry I'm not interested in what my brother did or did do,"

The blond sighs, knowing that it would be pointless, trying to tell her that nothing happened last night, and just as he feels his sister about to make another comment, he resorts to threatening her, "I swear I'll push you out of this car and make you walk home if you don't shut up right now,"

"Ok, ok, I'll stop," she puts her hands up as if in surrender, biting her lip, trying not to chuckle, and then a moment later, after fiddling with her phone, she says, "Mom's not picking up her phone. Do you want me to call dad?"

"As if he'd pick up on the first ring," the blond scoffs, "It's fine," he shook his head. "Do you wanna grab something to bite before we head home, though?"

"Sure, why not?"

⋘⋙

"Well, dad's car is not here," Josie remarks as Josh pulls into their front lawn.

"As expected," he rolls his eyes.

"You know, sometimes I think he's not actually all that bad. He just wants what's best for his kids, like all fathers do. And maybe, I don't know, maybe he thinks working hard and earning money for us is the only way he knows how to express his love for us,"

Josh scoffs, "Yeah, right. Let's just go in,"

The second he does go in however, he wishes he had the ability to reverse time, or maybe even to fast-forward it — anything to make him not face his father. Anger and resentment and maybe a tinge of hurt clouds his mind as he takes in the man before him.

"Dad?" Josie calls out as she entered behind Josh. "You're home?" she asks, surprised.

She can't really be blamed for her surprise because the man never really did stay at his house — it is more of a place where he checks in from time to time. At first, Josh thought it is because of his busy schedule but now that he's aware of his father's secret rendezvous, he isn't really sure anymore.

"Yeah, you sound surprised, Josephine," he gives her a small smile — he'd never admit it out loud, but he has a particular soft spot for the younger girl, just as she does for her dad.

"Well, your car wasn't parked out, so I just thought you must have left for work,"

"Right, it's in service,"