Between Us (18+)

29| You Are Cruel*

*1 HOUR LATER*

I have the job if I want it. As soon as I rang Josh to tell him the audition was over he was instantly hounding me with questions that I wasn't ready to answer. He was so excited for me that I couldn't help considering the offer, what if I did say yes? But did I really want to sign away two years of my life?

After a car ride of Josh trying to persuade me to take the job I was done.

"I'm not doing it," I flung open the car door once we arrived back at the apartment, launching myself from the car and Josh as quickly as humanly possible. I can't believe that he is really okay with this. "I can't believe that you're telling me to take this job when even I don't want it! You're being cruel." I had a feeling that Ethan wouldn't be so okay with this.

"Do you really think that I want this? Because I don't okay? I really don't want you to fucking date some guy. Even if it is just fake." Josh tried to reason with me but I was currently seeing red. I turned on my heel and stormed up the path to his apartment block.

Why couldn't he just agree with me on this? I needed someone to agree with me that this was a bad decision.

"Hollie just wait up a second yeah?" I could hear Josh flashing the car locked and then his footsteps jogging up the pathway to the apartment block from behind me.

Pulling Josh's spare key out of my back pocket, I went to open the entrance door and then found myself pressed flat against the door. Josh's body pressed against me, his hand planted against the glass door, preventing me from moving to put the key in the lock.

"That's not a smart move Hollie. You think I'm cruel? How am I being cruel by telling you that you should take the job?" His mouth lowered next to my ear. "You and I both know that you would rather do anything other than strip or dance. You told me that yourself."

"Fake date a stranger!" I exclaimed, I really can't believe we're arguing about this.

"Fake date." Josh exaggerated the word 'fake' but it didn't help.

"But can you and Ethan really be okay with me 'dating' another person publicly?" I looked up into his face.

"Hollie." Josh pressed himself harder against me, causing me to take a shaky breath, "I want you to be happy, really fucking happy. Take-the-damn-job and we can deal with Ethan when he gets back later."

I trembled, but while his body kept me pinned to the door, his body didn't touch mine. It was the heat of his body and the smell of his sea salt and pine wood aftershave that were attacking my senses, keeping me pinned beneath him.

"You can't fuck him though."

I whimpered, unsure exactly why as Josh took a step back. It took a moment before I could gather enough strength to unlock the door and let myself into the foyer. When I turned to slam the door in his face, I stopped as he placed his hand on the door.

"You can't just turn away from me, it's my apartment." Josh smirked down at me with that mischievous tone to his voice. God he is insufferable. I became determined to take that smug look off his face by swiping my leg out in a calculated move to catch his.

"Nuh, uh, you little wildcat." He used his leg to swipe my foot out from under me but before I fell to the floor, his hands gripped both my arms in a strong lock.

"You can be a real pain in the ass Lloyd." I beat on his chest with my fists. He hummed deeply against my ear in response.

"I can be- but only if you beg."

Fuck.

Before I could reply Josh had scooped me up in his arms, he managed to carry me into the apartment with ease, the elevator doors closing behind us on their own accord.