Page 184 of Camp Bliss
“Just focus on getting better, Josh,” I say, looking back at him. “That’s all we want.”
“Consider us square,” Zach adds.
Josh shakes his head and drags a trembling hand down his face. “Can’t believe I did that to y’all—” His voice breaks and he grunts to stifle the emotion.
Zach lays a big palm on Josh’s back. “Easy, man. You’re moving in the right direction now, okay?”
Josh rubs his eyes with the heels of his hands. “Yeah,” he croaks. “After I threw away everything that mattered.”
Zach looks back at me, and I swear, is that a question in his eyes? A question like,Is he right?
I open my mouth to say something, and Zach’s phone rings.
He pulls it out of his pocket, and I see Marco’s picture on the screen under the words “Hell on Wheels,” which, I note with a smirk, is a new edition.
Zach frowns. “Better take this,” he says, getting to his feet.
“We’ll be fine,” I say, nodding. His folks are still on their own since Zach left early and his sister Liz won’t arrive until tomorrow. I’m hoping they haven’t gotten into too much trouble since he left them yesterday.
“Hey, Dad. What’s up?” Zach asks, pushing open the door to the parking lot and letting it swing closed behind him.
I steal a sidelong glance at Josh. He’s wiping fresh tears from his face, so I look quickly away, wondering if he’d rather be alone or if there’s anything I should say.
I’m torn about whether or not I should acknowledge what he last said. Yeah, he did throw everything away. I hope I made that clear last night, but he was completely hammered then. I’m not sure he even remembers ambushing me in my bedroom.
I take a deep breath. “Josh, don’t worry about…” I lick my lips and weigh my words. “Get sober for you, alright? Not because of what happened… or what we had, okay?”
He turns his head to look at me, and for a moment, he just stares. And then one corner of his mouth lifts in a rueful smile.
“Don’t worry, Gret. I know there’s no going back.” He shakes his head slowly. “I have to live with what I did, but I can take comfort that not all of the consequences were bad.”
I blink. Is he—
His smile grows. “Yeah, it kills me to see you with someone else. But you seem happy, Greta.” He tips his head toward the parking lot. “Especially when you look at him.”
Heat floods my face because I know it’s true. And this is one of the most awkward conversations I’ve ever had.
“And when he looks at you?” Josh gives a low chuckle. “Man, I never thought I’d see the day. But he’s got it bad, and I gotta say… I’m relieved.”
“Y-You are?” I blurt.
Josh gives a slow nod. “Yeah. He’s gonna take way better care of you, Greta.” He holds up a hand when I open my mouth to protest. I’m a grownass woman. I don’t need— “I mean he’s gonna be good to you and good for you. And you deserve that. You deserve all that and more.”
I close my mouth and bite my lip before it can tremble.
Josh narrows his eyes with remorse. “I’m so sorry, Gret.” He gives a slow blink. “And I’m just as sorry for what I tried to pull last night.”
I stiffen. Ah. So he does remember.
He shakes his head, laughing low. “If I’da kept my shit together for ten more minutes, I could’ve at least held ontosomeof my dignity.” He rolls his eyes. “One look at the two of y’all in the same room, and I knew that while you might’ve felt compassion for me, there’d never be anything else.”
Well, I’m glad he said it before I had to.
He laughs a little harder. “You don’t have to look so relieved.”
And this time I laugh a little too.
And that’s how Zach finds us when he comes back inside. His gaze jumps between us, and his mouth opens. But before the question he’s about to speak leaves his mouth, the door beside the admitting desk opens and a middle-aged man in scrubs looks at the three of us.
