Back to you | ✔

06 | Chapter Six

B O N N I E

I pull away from his grasp and I try to stand on my own but can't seem to find the strength. I grab onto his arm for support and slowly stand. It's just my luck that I would run straight into Josh at this exact moment. Life is seriously doing the most, trying to find more and more ways to ruin my day however it can.

"Josh," I stammer, tearing my hand from his hold so I can brush the dirt off of myself. He watches me, not saying a word, as I stare back into his gray emotionless eyes.

I fidget slightly, uncomfortable with his stare, thinking of something, anything to say. "Thank you, and sorry again, for running into you," I stammer out, looking down at the ground again, finding a rock that I decide will be my focus. Anything but staring at him will do, even if it is a boring, dirty, too sharp looking rock on the ground. I don't want him to see my streak covered face with mascara running down my cheeks. How was I supposed to remember to wear waterproof eyeliner today?

"I really need to go," I say, moving to turn away from him, but his words stop me. "Bon, wait. Look at me," he asserts, cupping my cheek in his rugged hand, lightly drawing my face up until I am gazing into his eyes.

His face is covered with apprehension as he studies me. His eyes searching my entire face before he speaks again. "What happened?" he questions, and I shudder at the reminder of Skylar and that girl wrapped in his arms. The same arms that were holding me the same way not even a week ago.

"Nothing," I lie, "I just had a bad day." I know he didn't believe me, of course, he didn't. For all Josh's flaws, his one redeeming quality was how well he could read me. There was no way he would buy that bullshit. I just spewed.

"I know I've been gone for four years, and there's a lot I've missed, but I know you, BonBon, and I know when you're lying." He frowns at me, and I feel like a child who just got caught out fibbing. But his words, his statement, it makes me want to cry. All the time we missed, all the years I spent hating him for leaving me. Now here he stands, gazing down at me with the same tenderness and love in his eyes I remember from years ago.

I don't answer him, and he sighs, knowing that my stubbornness hasn't changed. "Tell me what's wrong," he demands. I cross my arms and frown up at him. Who does he think he is demanding anything from me, offering no explanations to me at all for his disappearance from my life?

He obviously will not let this go, so what's the point in fighting him? Honestly, I don't have the energy for that right now.

"I just saw my ex-boyfriend hugging another girl," I admit. Now that I'm saying it out loud, it sounds dumber than I thought. I stare down at my feet, too embarrassed to meet Josh's stare, but I just know he is smirking. I can sense it, if that's even possible. I feel the tears pool in my eyes again and groan, trying to fight them back.

"He was hugging another girl?" he questions, the mocking tone in his voice causing me to peer up at him and glower. My eyes land on his mouth first, as I predicted he is smirking. Apparently, this is all too funny to him. What an asshole.

He throws his hands up in defense, but the smile in his eyes doesn't fade. "It's not funny!" I snap, and now the laughter bursts from him. I don't understand what is so funny about my heart-breaking.

"I'm sorry Bon, I just don't understand what's so wrong about a guy hugging another girl," he shrugs, not understanding the gravity of the situation from my perspective.

"He was hugging her, like romantically, in front of me," I start and he stops laughing to watch me, listening intently now. "We only broke up last night," I choke out, the tears threatening to pour again. Josh's smile falls, his eyes toughen, and he clenches his jaw.