As I Fall Asleep- Joshua Bassett

Chapter 28

Josh picks up before the first ring can even finish.

"Katie?"

"Hey," I say quietly, not wanting him to hear the waver in my voice.

"I'm glad you called, I'm scared you wouldn't."

I don't say anything back, waiting for him to get to the point.

"Um..." he begins

Here we go, I think.

"Um, did you get my voicemail?"

What? He wanted to know if I listened to his voicemail?

"Yeahhhhh," I tell him, drawing out the word.

"Good, good, " He says, then pauses.

Neither of us speak for a few seconds, which seems like an eternity with the silence filling the space.

I finally speak up. "Josh, listen I understand that the press stretches things,"

"Yes exac-"

I cut him off. "But that's not the problem. You can have dinner with whoever you want, I'm not going to tell you what to do because that's not fair."

"Then what's the problem?" He asks in confusion.

I sigh. "Joshua, the problem is that you lied to me. You told me you were going out with Aiden and Sasha when I asked. Like I said, I wouldn't have had a problem with you having dinner with Sabrina, but the fact that you were dishonest to my face, that's not ok."

"You're right and I'm so sorry. I never should have lied. I only went out with Sabrina because she kept texting me and asking to meet up with me, so I agreed so I could tell her to stop contacting me."

"I get that," I tell him. And I do. He was afraid of what I would think if he suddenly went out to dinner with his ex.

"I get that," I repeat, "you didn't want me to know in case I thought something was going on."

"Exactly."

"But I wouldn't have, Josh. I know you. We've spent months together, getting to know each other and I know you wouldn't cheat. So after all we've been through, I thought you would be able to trust me. Because I trusted you."

"I know and I'm so so sorry, I was just scared. Wait-" he stops and a few moments pass before he continues, "trusted?"

"Well I don't know if I can trust you now. Josh you lied to me."

There's silence on the other end.

"I was going to tell you, I swear Katie. When you called, I was going to tell you. But Sabrina told me not to."

"What do you mean Sabrina told you not to?"

"Well you were on speaker and-"

I cut him off. "Sabrina was in the car when I called?" I'm getting angrier now.

"Yes," josh says, almost like a whisper.

"You're telling me you looked Sabrina in the eyes while you were talking to me and then said you were going out with Sasha and Aiden?"

"I get I lied to you, Katie. But does that erase the trust and relationship we've built over the last few months?"

That's not really an answer if you ask me.

"Relationship?" I ask incredulously. "Are we even in a relationship?"

"Of course we are," josh states.

"Really? Then why won't you ever acknowledge that? We go see your friends and you hide our relationship, claiming we're just friends."

"That's different and you know it. On set, things are already tense with drama and I didn't want to add any more."