𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 𝐔𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃

꧁ TWENTY SEVEN ꧂

Josh has been living with Bryce for 3 weeks now. He told his mom about what happened and she felt awful about it. He explained that he hasn't spoken to Nessa and gets all the updates from Mads. She yelled at him for that. He knows that at this point he's just being stubborn but what else is he supposed to do? She's the one who messed up, not him. At some point, he knows that going back home and taking about what happened is what needs to happen but right now he doesn't want to know. Right now? He just wants to have fun with his friends at Addisons lake house for the weekend and relax. He'll deal with being an adult when he comes back.

"And you're absolutely sure about this?" Anthony questions skeptically. The boys are currently crowded around the backyard campfire and Bryce is trying to convince them that the s'more combination with peanut butter is an elite food.

Bryce rolls his eyes at his friend. "Of course I'm sure. Why wouldn't I be? I ain't gonna make you fools eat shat that taste like ass am I? I mean, unless that's your thing" He jokes, earning a few chuckles from his friends.

It's been nice for Josh to spend a few days away with his friends. He needed the space and a time away to really think about his life and what he wants. He believes that this trip has done more than clarify what it is exactly that he wants to do going further.

In the midst of being surrounded by his cloudy thoughts, Josh had failed to hear the car that was pulling into the parking space across from the house. He glances at the vehicle for a second before turning his head towards Bryce who looks more than nervous.

"The girls are here?" Josh asks, using his s'more stick to draw pictures in the sandy ground. Nodding his head slowly, Bryce confirms.

The boys go silent as they watch the girls exit the car and gather their things. Tonight's the last night of the trip so they didn't bring much but they're also girls so...

Mads is the first to make her way down the slightly steep hill. She finds Jaden immediately and he hugs her, the smile on her face growing by the second. After the couple break away from each other, the blonde looks over her shoulder to see her best friend hesitantly making her way down the hill. Mads stares over at Josh, her eyes asking a question without her mouth even having to move.

Swiftly, he gets up and dusts himself off. He makes his way over to Nessa, surprising her in the process. He may still be incredibly upset with her but he's not going to let her fall and hurt herself or his child. Josh reaches out for her hand. The sensation he feels when their hands connect is the same way it always feels. In some way, electric. Her soft gentle touch never fails to give him butterflies even when he doesn't want them.

"Thank you". The words were small and quiet when they fell past her slightly chapped lips. Josh takes a careful look at her while he has the chance. The dark circles under her eyes give away that she hasn't been sleeping and it worries him. Her eyes are dull and slightly red. She must've been crying in the car. Everything else about her seems relatively normal or at least it would to anyone who doesn't know her but not to Josh. Her fingernails are bitten. A coping mechanism she has whenever she's nervous and her hair has small knots at the bottom of it due to her twirling her hair in her fingers. Also, something she does when she's nervous or even just thinking.

They make it down safely to their friends but everyone's already busy being consumed by a heated debate to notice that the two have joined them.

Later on in the night as the sun starts to set - creating a gorgeous view for the group of friends, they start sharing memory stories while sipping on their cheap beers and doing shots of vodka; curtesy of Avani.