Chapter 28

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 ASHTON POV

“She’s asleep, but I think she’s actually sick.”

I tell her parents about her burning forehead and about her throwing up, and they look concerned. I’m not sure if Joselyn would like them to come up there but right now I don’t feel like fighting them anymore. To my surprise, they don’t run up, the first thing they do. Instead they invite me to sit with them by the kitchen table, asking me if I want a cup of coffee but I shake my head no. Coffee has never been my thing. I’m more into hot chocolate, if I have to drink anything that is hot.

“Can I have the rest of the pancakes?” Adam asks when I put the plate with the rest of the pancakes on the table. There are plenty left since Joselyn didn’t really eat anything.

“Sure,” I say and Adam practically throws himself over the plate, making me laugh. “And strawberries for the parents.”

I grab one of the biggest strawberries and chuckle at Yolanda’s note.

“Do you want to sleep over? We have a spare room,” Juliet asks me.

That’s kind of a weird question, isn’t it? They don’t know me, even though Juliet told me Joselyn likes me. Honestly, I could murder them in their sleep or rob their house. Not that I would. I’m not a murderer nor a thief.

“I don’t know if I should…”

“Please, I know Joselyn would want it.” She reaches out and puts her hand over mine, and look me in the eyes. Even though they’re grey, they have the same shape as Joselyn’s.

“She doesn’t seem to want to talk with anyone but you, so I agree with Juliet,” Mark says and gives me a nod.

He kind of scares me. He looks like an ordinary dad but his voice makes you jump and you stop doing whatever you’re doing, just to listen to it.

“Alright. I think I’m gonna have to grab a few things from my apartment first and tell my mom but I don’t think there should be any problem,” I nod back at them.

Even though I’m 20, I tell my mom pretty much everything. She’s the closest person in the world to me.

“Yay! Sleepover! Do you play Xbox?” Adam puts his chin out.

“There, there. It’s school tomorrow. Don’t stay up late.”

Juliet muffles Adam’s hair and he laughs, making the rest of us laugh. It feels like we’re one big family and I feel my heart sting. This will be harder than I thought.

JOSELYN POV 

“RUN, JOSELYN, RUN!”

I don’t know who’s yelling at me but I do what they say, I start running. And I run as fast as I can. Through the woods, out on the field of corn, and back into another forest. I don’t dare turn my head around. If I do, I’ll lose speed and they will catch me. The words that’s haunting me, the laughter, the noise. They’re everywhere and they’re coming closer. I have to run faster. But I can’t. My foot gets stuck under something and I crash onto the ground. The noise gets louder and soon they’re all over me. They come with the darkness that is now surrounding me.

I don’t see any faces, only clouds and dots and stars dancing over my head. I try to fight them, but the punches I throw, are getting back at me. My stomach hurts and my head aches.

“Stop. Please stop.”

The laughter is getting louder. My clothes are wet but I don’t remember falling into any water.

“Stop!”

I barely recognize my voice anymore. But I know it’s mine, there’s nobody else here.

Affection // irwinWhere stories live. Discover now