Whatever, Josh | ✔

Chapter Nine

UNFORTUNATELY, THE RIDE back to the dorm, I'm stuck with Emma sitting by my side―and to make matters worse, none of us barely talk―until I pull up to parking lot, and can't contain my thoughts to myself. "Who's Matt?" I ask, taking my foot off the gas pedal.

She opens her mouth, and then closes it. "My ex," she murmurs, "and my cousin."

I sit there stunned for a minute, my mouth hanging open. "Wait, hold up, I-I mean did you guys even know you were cousins, or did you realize after because that's reason―"

"We knew," she says, "but we didn't care."

"Oh shit," I murmur, and then look at Emma, wondering if she heard that. "Until?"

"Until?" she pauses. "Well, until Matt ended things abruptly." She looks at me, suddenly, her blue eyes twinkling. "H-He just came up to me one day, and told me we should end things." Her shoulders droop, and I can't help, but just feel bad for the poor thing.

"At least you guys ended things before it went too far, right?" I soothe her.

"This was the first time seeing him after t-things ended between us," she sniffles, "and he hadn't even looked at me."

"I'm sure he had a good reason."

"That's the thing, though," she says, looking up, "I don't know if he does."

"I'm sure he does. Even though you guys are cousins, and all, you guys still might have some love."

"Might," she accentuates. 

"Will," I correct myself. "You will." My eyes dart to the Biryani in the back, and a smile spreads across my face. "Hey! How about we eat that Biryani, you were dying to try?" 

She doesn't even bother to look up as she responds: "I'm not hungry."

"What happened to the Emma that was talking about her fond-loving of Biryani an hour ago?"

Emma shrugs her shoulders. "A lot can happen in an hour, y'know?"

"I know," I agree, "but that doesn't mean we have to let it define us. C'mon." I, gently, cup her face in my hands, lowering it from the ground. "You're better than this, and you know it. Where's that badass girl, I bumped into this morning?" Hearing this, Emma smiles a little, causing me to smile.

"You barely even met, and you're already labeling me," she comments.

"I'm just stating facts," I inform her and she giggles. I lean to the back of the car, and struggle to get the Biryani. 

"We're not eating inside?" she questions. I stop for a second.

"Oh, we are?"

"Right?" Emma asks.

"Yeah, yeah, but, uh, who's dorm?" I bite my lip, hoping it's not mine because the last thing I need is Emma judging my side of the bed and seeing Josh.

"Whoever's is the closest, which is..." Emma's voice trails off intentionally, and I can tell she's waiting for me to finish the sentence.

I roll my eyes. "Mine," I say, popping back into the driver's seat.

                        ***

I HESITATE WHEN we reach my dorm, hoping―no, praying―that Josh won't be there. "What's wrong?" Emma asks, coming up from behind me. 

"N-Nothing," I say, avoiding eye contact with her. I struggle with unlocking the door until it opens, and, to my relief, Josh isn't there. I let out a deep breath of relief.

"Was it that hard to open the door?" Emma asks, signifying to my deep breath.

I force my smile. "Uh, y-yeah." 

"It's okay, sometimes I have trouble opening doors too."

"Yeah," I chuckle as I watch her examine my room. Holding in a breath of air, I hope she isn't judging my bed that much. 

"Judging by the more organized side, I'm assuming that's yours, right?" Emma asks, turning behind her to see me and I nod my head.

"Yeah, actually," I follow to where she is, and take a look at Josh's side of the room―it wasn't like this before. Did he come back? 

"Well, then, I guess, I'll settle on your side of the room, I-I mean, if that's okay with you," she side-eyes me.

"Of course!" I say, a little too exceedingly, my eyes still fixed on Josh's bed. 

"Are you sure everything's okay with you?" Emma says, getting up from the bed, and walking towards me. When I don't say anything, she asks: "Is it something that Matt told you because, trust me, I'm not attracted to you in any way."

"What?" I say, whipping my hair to her direction.

"He told you, didn't he?" she asks, and I sit there stunned.

"Y- You're―"

"Lesbian," Emma advises. "Yeah, I am."