I'M HIS AND HIS MINE

body wanted to be lonely. Josh made everything better. He was a sophomore so he knew his way around the school. He knew the teachers. He knew the best spot to have lunch was on the bench under a b

I was and that he was one of the cool kids. I started hanging out with Brad when we ended up in the same Calculus class junior year. He asked me out short

en talk at all. Before I knew it, we were strangers and awkward around each other. I wondered many times if it was because it bothered him that I started going out with his brother. I imagined that was the reason.

us. I would have done anything to keep him as a friend but I also had some dignity. Josh didn't seem like he wanted to keep being my friend. I did

ing him about his experiences in the past eight years. We would stay up all night talking. We would

the light." I tell him quiet

artment complex. He parks and shuts the ignition. I find myself in ano

looking at him. Then I reach ou

lie,

g in front of his father's truck. He he

mile as reassuranc

im look like the Josh I used to know. "It's really good t

he doesn't hate me. "It's okay, it's

gonna be alright?

"No. I—" I bite my lip. "I p

ard until he's in front of me. "Would it be alright if I call

y he's looking at me makes me feel like

number

s. You sti

d phone." He looks at me for a

shoulder length now. "Yeah. I've had it

Looks goo

e. "Th

kes a step forward and hugs me. I'm surprised but I smile and close my eyes as I put my arms around his waist. I know I

h the key in the darkness before I am able to unlock the door. I know he's sti

ght to my room not even bothering to turn on any lights. I kick off my boots and pull the dress out of my head then get unde

________________________

o do it just to make them happy or so they wouldn't worry so much about me, especially my mom. But that changed as I got old

eft him her house in Newport. It was a beautiful house, still is. My parents decided to invest in it and turn it into an inn because of the great location. People will pay buckets just to stay in a hotel in front of the beach. You can literally hear the waves all the time from the

e else in the car. It's one of my favorite things in this world. That's why I decide to go over despite all the things happening around me. I thought abo

e other one is used by my sister or me whenever we come over. The inn looks like a two-story house. It is white with windows all around and a beautiful porch facing the ocean. It is so open. I love it. I walk up the stairs of the porch then look at

honey, is

and smile at M

ome in about a month. I guess it had been longer that I had thought.

t I don't really have another good excuse for not having come in a while. Thou

ind me. "Is B

ight there that there's no point. I bi

clear shock. Her lips are even s

on't want to have this conversat

s just finishing

ally do have an appetite. I had been sipping on

as we walk inside.

uld in a normal home. She sits in the living room at times to read. She cooks as she would for our family. She greets and talks

r to the kitchen. I pour myself a cup of

t y

g table then smile at my dad when

ld. It always seems to put everything back into place when things are broken. I always feel so good afterwards. I don't know what I would do without

of the chairs. "Yes, dad. I

dwich in front of me. My stomach growls in response. It looks delicious. I beg

inn and there's no one else but us in the dining room s

family of four at the moment. They're tou

eaches for his orange juice. "

denly not very hungry, then I loo

ebrows. "No way.

. "I wi

r if we are twins. We have the same brown hair and brown eyes and we have Dad's straight nose and Mom's long eyelashes which is, of course, a blessing now-a-days. She has always been t

ing her purse down and pull

ppened?"

relationship but it definitely brought them closer. We were all practically family already. Which is why it makes this whole situation even worse. I would hate to be the reason Mom loses her friend. I know tha

and I look down at

lly. "Maybe what you both need is a break. I'm s

houldn't but I nod. "Maybe...maybe not. Either w

ot when we were both teenagers. We didn't really get along. That changed once I graduated from high school which kind of sucked because that's

r the rest of lunch. It's something they like to do. They get to know

't realize I had been waiting to tell her because I knew that once I told her, there was no going back. She's going to hate Brad

lly no goin