Mia & Joseph| (#Wattys2017)

« chapter sixteen »

"So this is where you keep all my jackets." Joseph says as he rummages through my closet. I had collected a lot of them over the years. I always hid them in the back, just in case Rory and Jess wanted to borrow something and wouldn't take something of his. Though, I never told Joseph where they were.

We were confirming plans with the others—Jess and Rory really wanted to go our school's baseball game. Which was valid since both Parker and Miles played on the team. I didn't remember they had a game today until Miles texted Joseph this morning.

"Yup, it's my secret stash." I nod my head from my bed as I watched him pull one out. Recognizing it as he put it on, I stood up rushing to him. "No, no, no. You can't wear this one." I object, tugging the brown jacket from his arms.

"Mia! What—okay—what the hell." He mutters trying to maneuver out of the jacket. "It's just a jacket." He laughs as I put the jacket on over my long sleeve shirt. 

"It's not just a jacket." I sneer, sticking my tongue out at him.

He grins, "Yeah, it's my jacket."

"No, idiot." I roll my eyes, "It's the first jacket you ever gave me."

"Only because you stole the other ones." He jokes and I just shake my head. He looks at me for a few silent moments and I watch as realization comes over his face. He widens his eyes, "Oh."

I chuckle, "You gave it to me the night my parents were got into that big fight and I stupidly forgot to grab a jacket." In my defense, when I was running out of my house almost in tears, grabbing a jacket was the last thing on my mind.

He looks at me, eyes beginning to soften. He smiles, "I remember that night." —he moves back to the closet and pulls out a different jacket— "we were only, what? Fourteen?."

I nod my head moving back to the bed where he was now sitting. "That was night you showed me your playlist." I say, plopping down next to him. We were close, thighs and arms connected.

He looks down at me, and I noticed the corner of his lips beginning to barely rise. "The one I listen to when I'm upset." He speaks, it barely coming out as a whisper.

I hick up an eyebrow at him, "Do you still have it?"

He doesn't answer right away. His eyes stay on mine, looking as if they were searching for something. Quickly silence came over the room, and I could hear his light breathing. His lips part, as if he was about to say something.

"Joseph?" I speak lightly when he doesn't.

He takes in a sharp breath, looking away abruptly. He clears his throat, "Yeah, uh yeah," —he stands up— "I have it on my MacBook." He turns towards me, awaiting a response but I was a kind of at a loss of words from his sudden movements. He looked so focus...so intrigued just moments before and now he seemed—I don't know—nervous maybe. I couldn't pinpoint it, but it was abrupt either way.

I stand as well, adjust the jacket covering my torso. "We should bring it," I suggest, "since the game is a while away."

He looks at me blankly for a mere second, then his bright smile comes to his lips. "Yeah, of course I'll bring it."

So he brought it, and as soon as we were driving—more so he since we were in his car—I synced his MacBook to the car. Soon enough a song by Eden filled the car and Joseph chuckles.

look at him a bit confused. "What's funny?" I asked turning the music down just a bit.

He shakes his head, "Nothing. It-it's just this is one of my favorite songs and I can tell it's your favorite too."