As Told By Paramours

chapter thirty

josie posie

I AM ABSOLUTELY CRAZY.

And I like Elijah. A lot.

I don't know when I registered it, or if I've known it since he was singing Japanese Denim angelically and I simply chose to ignore it subconsciously. But I think it a lot now.

I thought it when he kissed me on the cheek this morning, and then promptly sped-walked to his car so I couldn't give him one back, and I thought it when one of the staff at Jameson said his name and my heart got (waaaaaay) too excited and suddenly someone asked me why I had this huge smile on my face I didn't even know was there. I think it as I leave the house for his singing recital and I message him heart eyes and he replies with his rolling eyes emoji I am quite admittedly obsessed with now.

Yeah, I am so done for, actually. And I don't even mind.

Angie smiles as I approach her, and a couple other residents cheer for me.

"Hey, kiddo," she says in that familiar way of hers, and it makes me warm inside. "It's been too long.

"I know right?" I hug her from the side and run my eyes down her outfit: a long, red and orange sheer shawl, a large red hat, white pants and a matching top. She looks absolutely amazing, as per usual. "You truly look like you were kidnapped off the runway."

"Ha! I was!"

I laugh as I grab the chess box. "I'm winning you today."

"Sure thing."

"I swear!"

And so our match starts.

"What've you been up to?" she asks, moving her last pawn beside my knight. She took all my pawns out, unfortunately. I have my bishop, queen, king, knight, and both rooks. There's still hope for me yet.

I hum as I take out her last rook, landing two squares in from the edge of the board. "Consorting."

"No," she says, in all it's dramatic galore.

I won't meet her eye, because if I do, I'll smile. "Yup."

She laughs out loud and claps. "You must have that boy wrapped around your finger!"

Now I'm laughing. "You'd be surprised it's the other way around. He just makes me so... I don't know. He's a great person." Her face is astonished in a humorous way and I wave her off before her round of laughter starts again. "Later I'm going to see him perform at a recital with John."

"Speaking of which," she murmurs, and moves her king to the corner of the board. "Did you figure it out?"

"Between our grandparents?" She nods. I grin. "Nope."

"Nope?"

"Nope. And I don't even care, honestly." I'd forgotten all about it. I look down at the board, and I realize that I am not thinking about any of the lows I've had, or what my dad has done, or what is going on in my life that is inherently negative. I'm so damn happy, right now, regardless of it all.

I meet Angie's eyes and wink, moving my queen beside her king. "Check."

● ● ●

"Oh, geez," Elijah says, rolling his eyes playfully. He knows exactly what I'm doing as soon as I walk up with the floral pattern wrapped item, with an impish and positively hideous grin on my face.

"Don't 'oh geez' me. When you receive gifts, you're meant to say thank you."

"But I told you it was okay."