sight.”
“Oh, my.” There were tears in my mom’s eyes and she reached out for my dad. He gripped her hand tightly, a look of deep happiness on his face. And I could visibly see them both relax.
I was so going to hell.
My dad lifted his napkin to wipe his eyes. “That’s a wonderful story. So much better than ‘we met on the roof.’” He winked at me. “Maybe Josh should be the writer.”
“Thanks, Mr. Truly,” Josh said. “But I think my talents are better with wood—” Grinning, he shot me a glance. “—than with words.”
I rolled my eyes, laughing. GOD.
“It’s George. Call me George.” My dad beamed at him. “We’re practically family, you know.”
My mom leaned over and whispered as she patted my hand. “Oh, Willow. He’s a keeper. You did so good, sweetheart.”
Josh was charming the pants off my parents. From the moment he’d set foot in my apartment forty minutes ago, they’d been instantly enthralled.
Part of me almost wished he wasn’t turning on the charm quite so strongly because it was going to be that much harder when I told my parents we were over. But a larger part of me was thrilled. My parents looked happier than they had in months. Maybe even a little relieved. Like their biggest worry had been lifted.
It looked so good on them. My heart welled with gratitude toward Josh.
“Josh?” A woman’s voice called out from the hallway, followed by loud banging on a door. “Sugar? Are you there?”
My eyes flew to Josh’s. He stared at my closed door for a few seconds.
“ Joshy!? ”
He was up and out of his seat in an instant. “Excuse me for just a minute,” he said, casting an apologetic look my way.
The three of us sat in silence, listening to their murmured conversation for a moment. The woman’s voice started getting louder, desperate.
“But whyyyyy? I just needed to see you tonight,” she whined.
My dad cleared his throat while my mom reached out and touched my arm.
“Is everything okay, sweetheart?” she said.
I was already nodding before she finished. “Yeah, it’s just his…uh… SISTER. I think.” I slid my chair back and dropped my napkin on the table. “You know what? I’ll just go check on them. I’ll be right back.” I backed away from the table, banging into a cabinet and nearly tripping over the garbage can on my way to the door.
Out in the hall, the blonde from the other night was practically sobbing in Josh’s arms. She had on cute little pink shorts with a matching sleeveless shirt, and her sculpted arms were even more enviable up close. They made me want to slink back into my apartment and throw on something with long sleeves.
“Is she okay?” I said quietly, not sure whether to venture any closer.
Josh nodded as she wailed “Nooooooooo.”
He mouthed Sorry over her head, and tried to lead her toward the stairs, but she just cried louder.
“I can’t believe she’s gonnnne!” Her words came out in spurts between sobs.
“Oh, my god,” I took a couple steps toward them, looking at Josh. “Did someone die? If you have to go, that’s totally fine. Don’t worry about—”
“No. Her best friend got married.”
“And she moved to Jersey!” Her voice rose in dismay. “Now I’ll never see her.”
“Uh…Jersey’s on the other side of the river.” I pointed west. “You can see it from here.”
This only made her wail louder and I looked at Josh, unsure what to do.
The door behind me opened, and my parents stood there.
“Willow?”
“Wait, are you Will?” The girl lifted her head, and looked at me. Mascara ran over high cheekbones and down her face in black rivulets. I glanced at Josh’s light blue shirt—two black splotches were smeared on one shoulder. “Oh my god, I’ve heard so much about you. I’m Stacie. Josh’s—”
“WOW!” I yelled the word, making Stacie jump a little and choke on the word girlfriend. I sent up a little prayer that my parents hadn’t heard her. “I’m SO glad to
“Oh, my.” There were tears in my mom’s eyes and she reached out for my dad. He gripped her hand tightly, a look of deep happiness on his face. And I could visibly see them both relax.
I was so going to hell.
My dad lifted his napkin to wipe his eyes. “That’s a wonderful story. So much better than ‘we met on the roof.’” He winked at me. “Maybe Josh should be the writer.”
“Thanks, Mr. Truly,” Josh said. “But I think my talents are better with wood—” Grinning, he shot me a glance. “—than with words.”
I rolled my eyes, laughing. GOD.
“It’s George. Call me George.” My dad beamed at him. “We’re practically family, you know.”
My mom leaned over and whispered as she patted my hand. “Oh, Willow. He’s a keeper. You did so good, sweetheart.”
Josh was charming the pants off my parents. From the moment he’d set foot in my apartment forty minutes ago, they’d been instantly enthralled.
Part of me almost wished he wasn’t turning on the charm quite so strongly because it was going to be that much harder when I told my parents we were over. But a larger part of me was thrilled. My parents looked happier than they had in months. Maybe even a little relieved. Like their biggest worry had been lifted.
It looked so good on them. My heart welled with gratitude toward Josh.
“Josh?” A woman’s voice called out from the hallway, followed by loud banging on a door. “Sugar? Are you there?”
My eyes flew to Josh’s. He stared at my closed door for a few seconds.
“ Joshy!? ”
He was up and out of his seat in an instant. “Excuse me for just a minute,” he said, casting an apologetic look my way.
The three of us sat in silence, listening to their murmured conversation for a moment. The woman’s voice started getting louder, desperate.
“But whyyyyy? I just needed to see you tonight,” she whined.
My dad cleared his throat while my mom reached out and touched my arm.
“Is everything okay, sweetheart?” she said.
I was already nodding before she finished. “Yeah, it’s just his…uh… SISTER. I think.” I slid my chair back and dropped my napkin on the table. “You know what? I’ll just go check on them. I’ll be right back.” I backed away from the table, banging into a cabinet and nearly tripping over the garbage can on my way to the door.
Out in the hall, the blonde from the other night was practically sobbing in Josh’s arms. She had on cute little pink shorts with a matching sleeveless shirt, and her sculpted arms were even more enviable up close. They made me want to slink back into my apartment and throw on something with long sleeves.
“Is she okay?” I said quietly, not sure whether to venture any closer.
Josh nodded as she wailed “Nooooooooo.”
He mouthed Sorry over her head, and tried to lead her toward the stairs, but she just cried louder.
“I can’t believe she’s gonnnne!” Her words came out in spurts between sobs.
“Oh, my god,” I took a couple steps toward them, looking at Josh. “Did someone die? If you have to go, that’s totally fine. Don’t worry about—”
“No. Her best friend got married.”
“And she moved to Jersey!” Her voice rose in dismay. “Now I’ll never see her.”
“Uh…Jersey’s on the other side of the river.” I pointed west. “You can see it from here.”
This only made her wail louder and I looked at Josh, unsure what to do.
The door behind me opened, and my parents stood there.
“Willow?”
“Wait, are you Will?” The girl lifted her head, and looked at me. Mascara ran over high cheekbones and down her face in black rivulets. I glanced at Josh’s light blue shirt—two black splotches were smeared on one shoulder. “Oh my god, I’ve heard so much about you. I’m Stacie. Josh’s—”
“WOW!” I yelled the word, making Stacie jump a little and choke on the word girlfriend. I sent up a little prayer that my parents hadn’t heard her. “I’m SO glad to
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