Simply Naughty-Joey ✔

C H A P T E R 33

Why was it such a struggle to keep myself on the ball today? Actually, I was struggling to be myself since I got out of the hospital. Doctors told Josey that it must be because of the trauma of staying with my step dad, but that wasn't it. I wasn't scared of living with him or being beaten by him and his bitches, but it was the fact that I was aware that he was still out there, alive.

I shook my head and knocked on the door instead, then stepping back and waiting for an answer. Looking down, I thought about the present I was forced to give Enna, scrunching my face up in disgust because who the hell gifts someone a teddy bear notebook? I sighed and looked back up at the door again, glancing at the house next to it.

There was still that nervous sign in me that held me from calling the guys. I didn't know what it was, but a part of me thought they weren't going to get off my back and honestly, there wasn't a part of me that wanted that kind of attention or any kind of attention for that matter. Although, I could kind of expect them to give me a couple words of wisdom.

"Joey?" MY attention turned back to the girl that has been on my mind for a while. I didn't hesitate in taking a step forward, holding her by the back of her head and going in for a kiss, savouring the moment before pulling back. I saw her confused look turn into one of the things that caught my attention when we first met: her blush.

Without waiting for her approval, I walked into her house and noticed how most things in here had changed, but I didn't question it as I put the notebook on her table and turned back to face her after hearing the front door closed. I noticed how she looked oddly different, from the greasiness of her hair to the dark circles under her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" She questioned, her voice croaking towards the end. I found it hard to smirk, to think that my kiss had something to do with her behaviour now. "When was the last time you ate something, nerd?" I questioned, making my way to the kitchen, hearing her thudding footsteps behind me.

I threw the fridge door open and saw the emptiness of it, then went scavenging in the cupboards and saw a couple tinned food but that was all. A hand on my arm reminded me that the girl was behind me, my eyes racked her new found features. I brought a hand to her cheek, almost shaking out of anger.

"Why haven't you eaten anything, nerd? Aren't you supposed to be the smarter one out of the both of us?" I questioned, my voice dimming down, surprising the both of us. Enna took a step back and held a hand to her stomach, my eyes instantly travelling to that point. She had lost a considerable amount of weight in such a small amount of time.

"I think you shou-" I stopped the next words coming out of her mouth and took her by the arms, bringing her closer to me in a tight grip. "Don't you dare tell me to go, not when you're like this Enna! Fuck, what the hell happened? I knew I should have asked Josette or Drew to come here, to check up on you! Fuck, I should have asked Elijah!" I was beyond angry at myself.

I didn't even notice the tears that had come out of Enna's eyes, sliding down her face. My thumb moved to their own accord to wipe them away, but they wouldn't stop. I took her face in my hands and kissed her lips, chapped out of dehydration. The profanities wouldn't stop in my head, but neither would my lips on hers.

Turning our positions around, I backed her onto the fridge and kissed her, licking her bottom lip and gently squeezing her hip which made her open her mouth for me. My tongue molded with hers, creating a striking sensation from my tongue piercing that made her grip onto my shoulder before she fell, out of weakness for what? Me or the lack of food.

Achingly, I pulled away from her and leaned my head on hers. She was so frail, so out of life and I shouldn't have been surprised because this is what something like depression would turn out to be without the help she needed. I lifted my head up away from hers and pulled her into my chest, hugging her close to me, a part of me afraid that she would fall.