by Bailey B
Josh pulls his hand from between my legs and rests it on my hip. He looks me in the eyes; the intensity of his gaze makes my stomach somersault. “If we’re still together next year and it doesn’t fuck with your schooling, yeah.”
Move in. I was worried about meeting his mom, but this takes things to the next step. I weigh my options, knowing Josh is waiting for an answer, but there’s a lot to consider.
We’ve known each other less than a year.
We’ve only officially been dating a week.
My parents will lose their minds when they find out.
But Josh is the sweetest man I know. He’s never pressured me into doing anything I’m uncomfortable with. He’s respectful, has a steady job and, if I’m being honest with myself, I hate the drive from Orlando to the ranch.
“Well.” I bite my lip already knowing what my answer is. Dad always said there’s no reward without risk. I think Josh and I have something special. Why not? “They have some online classes. I can talk to my guidance counselor about it.”
“I’d like that.” Josh chuckles as my stomach growls and kisses the tip of my nose. “Come on. Let’s get you some breakfast.”
I sit up and pull off the shirt I slept in. I’m naked in Josh’s bed again. From the look he’s giving me, breakfast may be on hold for a while. “After that I should probably get on the road.”
“Do you have to?”
He nibbles on my neck. I arch my back, feeling wetness pool between my legs again. “Maybe I can stay a little longer.”
I'm skipping the fundraiser tomorrow. Aunt Tricia isn’t happy, but I'm not on the schedule to work. I took the whole week off to prepare for my exams. That includes Saturday.
Since I didn’t have to go in today, I decided to drive up early and surprise Josh. FaceTime is great, so is sexting, but I want him.
He comes in the sliding door, the one on the side of the house facing the farm, beside the kitchen, and freezes as soon as he steps inside. “Goddamn. That’s a beautiful sight.”
I finish straining the noodles, then walk around the kitchen island to kiss him hello. Josh is sweaty, smells like grass and male musk, but he tastes like heaven. I curl my arms around his neck, not giving a damn if he gets me dirty.
“Are you hungry?” I pull back and head to the stove. The roasted cherry tomatoes and ricotta are ready. I take it out, mix it all together, then scoop the concoction over plated noodles.
“Starved.” He takes the stool across from me and dives in. I grab a beer from the fridge, twist the cap off, then hand it to him. “This is delicious.”
I smile, pleased the recipe I saw on TikTok was a success, and sit beside him. “Grades posted a little while ago. I got an A in both.”
Josh nudges me with his elbow and grins. “That’s great, babe.”
“Thanks.”
Josh finishes eating before me and starts on the dishes. I finish up and start wiping down the counters. My parents never do anything together, let alone help with the mundane things. We have a chef and a maid, and when I was younger a nanny. But us, cleaning up after a home cooked meal, being a team, it’s nice. I could get used to it.
“We have two options for tonight.” Josh closes the dishwasher and wipes his hands on a kitchen towel. “We can stay in and have a Netflix and chill kind of night, or we can go out to Sprocket Pond. It’s usually a bunch of fun with a bonfire and whatnot.”
“Well.” I lean against the counter and bite my lip.“I’ve never been to a bonfire, but I do like it being just you and me. Your call.”
Josh hooks his finger through my belt loop and pulls me into him. “We’ve got all weekend together. Hattie will chew me a new one if she finds out you’re here and I kept you to myself Let’s go to the bonfire. It should be fun.”
I don’t know what I expected when Josh said we’re going to Sprocket Pond.
An actual pond maybe?
Nope, it’s a large clearing with no grass, no trees, and no vegetation. Just a bunch of dirt with a huge muddy puddle in the middle of it.
Between the people on four wheelers and the trucks riding through the mud, pretty much everyone is dirty. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed. I try to hide my shock, but my expression must have given me away.
Josh and I park a few rows behind the circle of trucks surrounding the bonfire. The gang must have gotten here early. Both Landon and Sam’s trucks are in that circle.
Josh slips his arm around my shoulder as we walk toward the fire. “You okay?”
I nod, looking around, taking everything in.
Sam sits on the roof of Landon’s truck, his feet on the toolbox, and asks me the same thing. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Just a little bit of culture shock. I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Colson and I went to a mud festival once, but that was different. Trenches were dug for people to drive through and there wasn’t a speck of dry dirt for miles. People drank and listened to music while riding around. It was fun.
This… this is like we took a party at Landon’s house and moved it outside.
Josh kisses my temple and squeezes my hip. “You’ll be alright, I promise. Have a few beers and relax. It’ll be a good time.”
I climb into the bed of the truck and wave at the girl beside Sam. Every time I’ve seen him, he’s got a new chick on his arm. Sometimes, two in one night. He reminds me so much of Colson it hurts.
Speaking of Cole, he has dodged my calls all week. Sometimes letting them ring until voicemail. Other times cutting the call off with the F-you button after the first ring, you know, the ignore button. He never calls me back, doesn’t return my text messages, and has blocked me on Facebook.
“This is Caymi,” Sam says.
The girl beside him smiles brightly and extends her hand. I shake it but don’t commit her name to memory. Hattie pokes her head out of the back-glass window and waves before disappearing into the cab. The truck rocks, and we all pretend that them screwing is no big deal.
“Are you gonna be alright if I say hi to some people?” Josh hands me a Mike’s Hard Lemonade and I nod. He grins then disappears into the crowd of people by the fire. I stay with Sam, making idle conversation until my drink runs out.
I hop off the truck and meander through the swarm of people by the fire, looking for Josh. We lock eyes at the same time. He waves me over, and tosses an arm over my shoulder.
“Guys,” he says, “this is my girlfriend, Layla.”
There’s a few polite hellos and then the conversation continues like I’m not there. Josh and his friends reminisce about high school and talk about how the town is changing. Topics I can’t contribute to.
The hours pass at a snail-slow rate. I follow Josh while he talks to more people than I can keep up with. As people I don’t know approach us, he introduces me. Even with the title of girlfriend being thrown around like money at a casino, a few girls try to slide between us and stake a claim to Josh. He sets them straight, every time by telling those girls to fuck off and crashing his lips against mine.
After a few hours into the night, I’m tired. I slip out from beside Josh while he’s talking to one of Bret’s friends and head for the truck.
No more than five steps away, Josh takes my hand. I turn and see a puzzled face with glossy eyes staring at me. “Where are you going, babe?”
“I’m tired, I’m going to go lie down in the truck.”
“Alright. I’ll be there in a few minutes. Want to come with me to say goodbye?”
“Tell them for me. I’m exhausted.” I fish Josh's keys out of his pocket. He smirks and leans in, pressing his lips against my forehead before turning to his friends again.
The air is colder away from the fire. I cross my arms and zig zag between haphazardly parked cars. Josh is going to have a hell of a time getting out of here.
“Hey!” a female voice yells from behind me. I turn and look over my shoulder. The girl draws nearer, stopping a foot away, fists on her hips.
“You’re Josh’s girlfriend. Right?”
“Yeah.” I hold my hand out, assuming this is another one of his friends. I thought Landon’s parties were intense, but I’ve met more people tonight than I have at one of Aunt Tricia’s fundraisers. Josh knows everyone here, and I mean everyone. I don’t know how he keeps all their names straight. “I’m Layla.”
The girl spits at my feet and sticks her finger in my face. “You’re a homewrecking slut!”
“Layla!” Josh runs between the cars. He passes the bitch, I don’t like that word but this woman fits the definition to the tee, and pulls me into him. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah… I’m fine.”
He kisses my forehead and turns to the woman in question. “What the fuck do you want, Kaitlin?”
“Nothing.” Kaitlin holds her hands up and back steps towards the fire. “Just saying hello to your new girl.”
“Sure you are.” He narrows his eyes, watching Kaitlin until she’s deep in the shadows. I don’t know what I did to piss her off, but I don’t want to do it again.
“That was Amanda’s sister,” Josh says when we’re in the safety of his truck. He cranks the heat up for a few minutes, letting me warm up, then turns the air down to a normal temperature.
“Makes sense why she called me a homewrecker.” Amanda mustn’t be happy that her speech didn’t drive me off. In truth, it almost did. My life is complicated enough without adding in some baby mama drama. Colson is ignoring me. My mother calls me daily, trying to convince me that a life with Ashley isn’t as bad as it seems. My aunt is pressuring me to take on more responsibility. Dad acts like I don’t exist. And then there’s school.
But I want what Josh described the other day. A love without limitations. A best friend, not a business partner.
I’ve never felt emotions the way I do when we’re together. Everything is magnified, good and bad. I’m not falling for Josh. Falling is a leap and then smooth descent. I’m tumbling down the mountain, feeling everything along the way.
Mom’s house is filled with a mix of my brother’s friends and mine. Thanksgiving and Christmas have always been huge, but tonight is more crowded than years past because everyone is in town for the week. People I haven’t seen since high school have shown up, some with food, others with beer, just to hang out.
I smile and nod absentmindedly, while staring at the screen door to the patio. I told Layla to park at the house and drive the Gator over. Everyone knows to leave the road clear, but they park alongside it. Judging by how many people are here tonight, I’d say it’s probably crazy out front.
I take a sip of my Coke and nod again, agreeing with a conversation I didn’t hear. I’ve been anxious all day, worried about Layla meeting Mom. I’ve never brought a girl home. Not to meet her.
Sam’s whistling pulls me out of my daze. He’s such a tool, whistling at one girl with another in his arms. In my opinion, the girls who throw themselves at him are stupid. They think they’ll be the one to change his ways and then are scorned when he drops them in a day or two. It’s a never ending cycle of disappointment and heartache, but Sam has attachment issues. I don’t see him letting anyone get close.
I find the girl he whistled at and grin. Layla walks through the screen door of Mom’s pool, arms clasped in front of her, a beautiful, yet timid smile on her face.
I hold my hands out and pull Layla into a hug, lifting her off her feet. She smells good. Like strawberries and cream. She throws her head back, a laugh leaving her perfect lips. Setting her back on her feet, I reach up and cradle her face in my hands. I kiss her until my lungs burn and am forced to take a breath.
“You made it.”
“I told you I would.” She looks around, her gaze bouncing from one person to the next, taking in the two dozen people scattered about the patio. “This is a lot of people.”
I drop my arms and lace her fingers with mine. We walk away from the screen door and towards the beer pong table. “There’s normally not this many, but Bret hasn’t been home since August. Most of these guys are his friends.”
“And yours.” Layla waves and Hattie leaves Kelly by the pool to come say hi.
“Ahhh!” Hattie squeals. “I can’t believe you're gonna meet Sandy! She can’t stop talking about you. I swear, I don’t know who’s more excited you’re here tonight, me or her.”
She pulls Layla into a hug then reaches for her hand.
“Oh no.” I wrap my arms around Layla’s waist, refusing to lose her so early in the night. “She just got here. Go back to the friend you invited. I want some time with my girl. “
Layla
“Oh, my heavens. Is this her?” a woman squeals. She sets the bowl of potato salad she's fixing on the counter and pulls me in for a hug. Both arms wrap around me as she rocks me side to side. She sets her hands on my shoulders and pushes me back a few inches. “Let me get a good look at you, sugar.”
The woman is weary with wrinkles around her eyes as deep as the smile lines on her cheeks. Brown hair, the same shade as Josh’s, though much longer and pulled into a messy bun on her head. “Mercy me, Josh, she’s a beauty.”
Josh slips his arm around my waist, pulling me away from her. “Mom, quit. You’ll scare her off.”
“Oh, hush now, child. Darlin’, I’m Sandy Thomas. Most kids around here call me Sandy,” she says with a proud smile.
“Or Mrs. T. I call her Mama.” Bret pulls me out of Josh’s arms and twirls me once. “Remind me again, how did my brother score a fine piece like you?”
Sandy backhands him across the chest and frowns. “Bret Allen, I taught you to talk to ladies with more respect than that.”
I stifle my laugh. These two are amazing—so warm and welcoming. My family would have judged Josh simply for being a country boy and turned their noses up at him. It’s nice to see there’s still kindness out in the world. Josh, on the other hand, doesn’t seem amused and quickly pulls me back into the safety of his arms.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I say.
“Look at that, Bret, she’s got manners.” Sandy fans herself. “Lord help me, Josh, if you screw this one up, I’ll tan your heiney.”
Josh groans and rolls his eyes. “Damn it, Mom! I’m not five. You can’t say shit like that anymore.”
“Watch your mouth around me, son.” She picks up a spatula from the counter and waves it at him. Josh ducks behind me, hiding his face in my hair. “Now, Layla dear, after everything I’ve heard about you, I expect to see you around more often.”
“It’s all lies. I swear,” I tease.
“Oh, hush now, darlin’. That boy couldn’t tell a lie to save his life. He’s real smitten with you.”
“Mom!” Josh yelps.
“Well, it’s true! Josh is my good boy.” She reaches out and takes Josh’s chin between her fingers, beaming. He rolls his eyes and Sandy goes back to stirring her potato salad. “Bret, on the other hand, that boy is gonna put me in an early grave.”
“Aw, Ma. Don’t say that. I’m not that bad,” Bret insists, swiping his finger in the bowl.
“Damn it, Bret! Out. Everybody out!” Sandy smacks his shoulder then shoos us out the kitchen. We almost make it to the back door when she yells, “Oh, and don’t use protection, dear. Y’all would make cute babies!”
“Oh my God,” Josh mumbles, shutting the door behind us. Once outside, he heads straight for the coolers and hands me a beer before taking one for himself. He downs half the bottle in one swallow before coming up for air. “Sorry about that.”
I shake my head and set the drink on top of the cooler. “I loved it. Your family is so kind, and mine…mine isn’t.”
Josh’s phone sounds in his pocket. He frowns looking at the message, types a quick reply, then puts it away. “That was Amanda.”
“Oh,” I say, feeling out of place all of the sudden. Here Sandy was joking about babies, and Josh has one looming on the horizon. Whether it’s actually his or not is still up in the air. “Everything okay?”
“I want this to work between us, but it won’t if there are secrets.” He saunters over to the cooler and takes the beer I’ve rejected. He pops the tab then takes a sip. “She wants me to go to the ultrasound next week.”
My chest constricts. This is the kind of stuff that’s kept me up at night. At some point, Josh is going to acknowledge the baby could be his. If it is, he’ll be a new dad, dealing with sleepless nights, doctor’s visits, and diapers. And me? I’ll either be pushed aside and forgotten or thrown feet first into stepmom mode. Neither sound appealing. “Are you going?”
“No. I told her to piss off. That baby ain’t mine.”
I let out a breath, feeling the pressure in my chest decrease, but we’re not out of the woods. If my guesstimating is correct, Amanda should be about five months. We still have four more until the paternity test results come out. “When’s it due?”
“Fuck if I know. Like I said, it’s not mine.” He draws in a sharp breath, exhaling slowly. “I’ve lost my appetite. You want to get out of here?”
“Won’t your mom be mad?”
“Who cares? I want to spend time with you.” He takes my hand and pulls me into him. “Everyone else can piss off for all I care.”
My guidance counselor, Miranda—she insists I call her by her first name—types away at her computer. Unlocking the gates of heaven and hell. Not really, but it feels that way. What she says will determine my future next semester. I’m either on track with flying colors, getting to stay in Florida for another six months, or I got a C and my parents' money dries up. I’ll either be stranded to fend for myself, disowned by my family for breaking our deal, or I’ll have to go back to Georgia and marry Ashely.
My leg shakes.
I think I did good on my final exam yesterday, but grades haven't been posted to the student portal yet. That last test was a beast. I second guessed myself every question.
Miranda stops tapping the keyboard and spins in her chair to face me. She’s a pretty woman in her mid-twenties, with a pleasant personality. Most importantly, she’s the only counselor willing to see students face to face. All the other’s on campus hold their appointments either by phone or Zoom.
