Double Dare // Sky Flaherty

Chapter Eight

Sky's POV
I look up from my phone. "You have to quit doing that."

Josh, sitting next to me in the airport, looks at me innocently. "Doing what?" He sets his phone down.

"The comment thing."

"What? It's not a secret that you like Jack." He shrugs.

My eyes widen. "You're crazy. She's my friend," I argue.

He rolls his eyes. "Oh, come on. Flirting with her from the moment you met her? You're kidding yourself if you say you don't like her."

I'm stunned, unable to speak for a few seconds. Josh isn't wrong; I hadn't realized he's so observant. "Even if I did, it doesn't matter. Jack has a boyfriend anyway."

"I know," Josh says. "That's why I'm teasing you, and not her. You can relax, I'm not going to tell her anything." With that, he stands up to find Indiana.

I think over the conversation I just had. Is it really that obvious that I'm into Jack? Why does it matter? She's already dating someone, I tell myself. Someone who she argues with every time they're on the phone together. He doesn't seem to respect her privacy or listen to her at all. I could treat her better, I think before I can stop myself.

"What are you thinking about?" Ben's voice shakes me out of my thoughts as he takes a seat next to me.

"Uh, nothing." I shake my head. "Did Josh find Indy? We're boarding the plane soon." I stand, picking up my backpack and shouldering it.

"I don't know, I haven't seen him since he left to go find her." Ben shrugs, picking up his own backpack. Within the next few minutes, Josh and Indy reappear, hand-in-hand. Just as they arrive, we begin boarding the plane.

Indiana decides to watch some movie Josh doesn't want to watch, so he and Ben switch seats before the plane takes off. I put on my headphones and look out the window, letting my thoughts wander. I take a small nap for about two hours. Josh wakes me up when a flight attendant comes by with drinks. I take my headphones off, taking my drink with a sigh. Josh drinks his water quietly, which is rare. He keeps glancing at Indy and Ben.

"Are you okay?" I ask. "You're acting weird."

"I'm just...thinking," he says slowly, still watching Indiana.

"About?" I prod after a moment of silence. Josh takes a deep breath, turning his attention from his girlfriend to me. He doesn't say anything, and I raise my eyebrows. "About what?"

He inhales slowly. "I want to ask Indy to marry me," he says, the words spilling out quickly. Josh glances back at Indy and Ben, who are still happily watching their movie. "But I think I need to give it a few more months. I don't think she's ready yet."

"Wow," is all I can say. "I was definitely not expecting you to be thinking about something that important."

"Do you think it's a bad idea?" Josh asks anxiously.

I shake my head. "No, I don't think it's a bad idea. It's just a really big step. Are you sure you're ready for it?"

"I was ready two months after we started dating," he answers honestly. "But she said she wanted to take things a little slower. We've been together for a long time, but I still don't think she's ready."

I nod slowly. "Like you said, I would give it a few months. Have you talked about it at all?"

"Yeah. We talked about it a few times but every time she seems like she wants a little more time. I'm afraid that if I wait too long, she'll be gone."

"She's not going to leave you, Josh," I say, watching him try to relax. "She loves you, you know. Indiana wouldn't leave you."

Josh nods. "Right. Sorry to dump all of this on you. I haven't told anyone else about wanting to propose. I guess I'm just a little nervous."

"You don't have to apologize," I say with a slight smile. "I'm excited for when you decide to propose."

Josh is quiet for a minute. "I'm changing the subject so I don't overthink it," he states, and I nod. "So, what's your plan for Jack?"

I roll my eyes, lightly shoving his shoulder. "Shut up."

~~~~~
hi. I love this chapter
thanks for reading!