-- fine line
ESMERELDA AND JOSSLYN LOADED THE LAST OF THE FOOD INTO THE KITCHEN CUPBOARDS WHILST LEO AND VINNIE RAN AROUND EXCITEDLY ARRANGING PILLOWS. They had all ended up buying much more than they needed, but at least the RV felt a little more like a home and not an illegally driven vehicle.
"Okay, we're finally in Nashville. What do you guys wanna do?" Vinnie asked, standing next to Josslyn in the kitchenette.
"Let's go to Opryland!" Esmerelda excitedly jumped up and down, throwing herself in the drivers seat and starting the ignition.
"Opryland it is!" Leo replied, grinning from ear to ear and sitting in the passenger seat. Es and Leo had since made up from their argument the previous day; They had been all over each other ever since Josslyn and Esmerelda got back to the RV, much to Vinnie's disgust.
They pulled out of the parking lot, nearly running over a few small children on the way, but managed to successfully exit as Leo's French Siri continuously told them to turn left and turn right.
"V, didn't you say you needed to talk to me?" Josslyn asked, looking up at Vinnie, who looked confused for a moment before realisation shot across his face.
"Oh yeah! Come to the back" He started walking towards the bunks, Josslyn following behind him like a lost puppy, pulling the curtain that separates the kitchenette to the bedroom.
Vinnie sat down on his bunk, Josslyn climbing up after him and looking expectantly up him.
"So what is it?" She asked, shrugging her hands and puffing a wad of air out her cheeks.
"I got a text earlier..." Vinnie started, looking uneasy. Josslyn shrugged, shaking her head, her manner unbothered. "...From Hunter"
And just like that, all colour from Josslyn's face faded and she lunged at the boy sitting next to her, snatching his phone out of his hands to look through his messages.
"Lemme fucking see!" She screeched, grabbing Vinnie's phone and climbing off of him.
hunter:
hey you with lynn?
vinnie:
no
hunter:
you sure? because you're missing, lynn's missing, leo's missing and esmerelda is missing. seems pretty fishy
vinnie:
nah you know what lynns like
always disappearing
hunter:
with other people tho?? nah
i'm coming down to find u guys
vinnie:
how many times do i have to tell you i'm not with lynn
and why do you even care so much? YOU left HER
hunter:
dude that's the past
we're on good terms now
besides your guys' parents are super worried
just tell me where you are and if you guys are safe
and get lynn to call me
--
"I gotta call him" Josslyn said, passing the phone back to Vinnie and grabbing her phone and typing in her passcode.
"Lynn, are you crazy?!" Vinnie exclaimed, pulling her phone out her hands. "He'll just tell your dad"
"No, he wont" She reassured the panicking boy next to her, who still clutched her phone in his hand.
"How do you know that for sure?" Vinnie eyed Josslyn cautiously, slowly lowering his hand to sit on his lap, the phone still being held tightly.
"Because he's bluffing" Josslyn stated, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It's his way of getting answers. He'll scare you with something until you fess up, but he won't actually do anything. He says he'll tell Dad but he won't. If anything it's gonna be my mom thats worried"
"What- you're mom? I thought she left like ten years seven years ago?" He shook his head in confusion, shuffling backwards to lean against the wall.
"She always worries whenever I go somewhere. She'll call me in a panic and then not speak to me for another six months" Josslyn explained, finally reaching over and grabbing her phone from Vinnies hands. "She only calls because Hunter tells her too"
Josslyn quickly scrolls through her contacts, clicking on one she hasn't clicked in a while. Hunter picked up just after the first ring.
Hello? Josslyn?
Yeah, hi, it's me.
Where the fuck are you? And don't tell me you dragged along your friends.
I haven't. I'm on my own.
Lynn, I find that hard to believe.
Why?
Leo's gone, Esmerelda's gone, Vinnie's gone. Dad checked your card and the last things you bought was a shit ton of food with gluten free supplements. The only gluten free person you know is Es.
It's just a coincidence, I'm on my own. I promise.
Josslyn, please don't lie to me. Just tell me where you are and if you're safe. I won't tell dad, I swear on my life.
I don't trust you.
Why not?
I don't know, I just don't, okay?
Jesus Christ, is it that fucking hard for you to accept the fact that somebody cares about you? That I care about you? Now let me know you're safe, goddamit!
Okay, okay, I'm safe? Is that what you wanted to hear? Now leave me alone.
~~
And with that, Josslyn hung up the phone, ignoring the abundance's of texts flowing in from her family, her little nephew included. She hated lying to her family, she always has, but some things have to be kept a secret.
"Lynn, you okay?" Vinnie asked, leaning forward and gently placing a hand on Josslyn's back as she rested her head in her hands and shook her head. "C'mon, honey, talk to me"
"He always does this" She mumbled, pushing the heel of her hands into her eyes until she saw stars behind her eyelids. "He always pretends he cares and then snaps when he doesn't get his way"
Vinnie continued to rub circles into Josslyn's back for the next few moments before lightly tapping inbetween her shoulder blades.
"Hey, look at me" He hummed, softly, putting his index finger underneath Josslyns chin, lifting her face to look at him. It was only then that he noticed the tears pooling in her eyes that she so desperately tried to keep in. "You are so much more than he tells you you are. Blood doesn't always make you family"
Josslyn smiled lightly, leaning forward and resting her head on his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his middle. "Thank you, V"
Vinnie tightened his arms around her shoulders, lightly kissing her temple as they pulled away from each other.
The two's eyes connected as they sat opposite each other in the bunk, their arms still loosely wrapped around each others bodies. Nothing but lust and content filled Vinnie's eyes as he stared deeply at the girl he had come to love over the course of his life. Josslyn could feel her legs turn to jelly as the boy's sinful eyes graced over her face, sliding down to her lips before meeting her eyes again.
Soon enough, he's slowly leaning in, his long eyelashes fluttering against his cheeks as his doe-eyes closed. Josslyn gripped the waist of Vinnie's sweater a bit tighter as her breath hitched in her throat.
His warm breath fanned across her face as she fully processed what was happening.
Vinnie's going to kiss me. I'm going to kiss Vinnie.
"Hey, we're here- Woah!" Leo exclaimed, shutting the bunk partition curtain just as fast as he opened it. Vinnie dropped his hand from the side of Josslyn's face as her grip on his side loosened. He pursed his lips, looking at her sympathetically before scooting forward and off the bunk, leaving Josslyn sat in silence, her brain mulling over everything that just happened.
I am going to kill Leo.