Page 33 of How to Trust a Hellhound
Eventually the sheriff spoke. “Ok. I see no indication that you did anything wrong, but I’d advise you all to stay away from Rick. Josh, I can file an Emergency Protective Order, which will keep Rick away from you until you can file for a restraining order with the courts. I can go back to the station and work on that, maybe give Rick a little time to cool off, then go and inform him of it and check in on his mental state.”
I nodded my head. “Ok. He’s an asshole, and I’m angry at him, but I really don’t wish him ill. Will you keep me posted about what happens? He has family in the area as well. He isn’t super close to his mom and dad, but they’d certainly step in if there was something wrong. I’m not sure if you’re allowed to call them by law or whatever, but I can if he isn’t doing well. Like I said, I don’t wish him ill, despite what happened between us.”
The sheriff nodded again. “You’re a good person, Josh. I’ll keep you posted.”
With that, he got into his car, and we all watched as he drove off.
It was silent for a minute after the car was gone from sight, and then I heard Jude quietly sing-song, “Josh and Wilder sitting in a tree…”
Someone must have elbowed him again because he stopped with an oomph. I pulled away from Wilder and turned around to look at him, but he was grinning at me. Liam and Atlas didn’t look upset, either, just sort of curious. I did not need them thinking I was crushing on their dad, though, so I deflected.
I pointed at Liam and Atlas first. “You two. Stay away from Rick. I appreciate the sentiment, but I do not need any more trouble. Whatever the hell you did, you upset him enough that he’s eitherhallucinating or making up crazy stories.” I snorted. “Laser eyes and fire. Completely absurd.”
Atlas and Liam both looked a little guilty at that, and I narrowed my eyes at them, suddenly suspicious. “You guys didn’t drug him or something, did you?”
“Or something!” Jude giggled, and I watched as his eyes flashed red. He blinked, and the color was gone.
“Seriously? Colored contacts? You guys are about as mature as middle school boys. What would make you think it was a good idea to threaten and try to scare Rick?”
Liam and Atlas continued to look vaguely guilty, and Jude said, “Ohhhh, you guys are in trouble with step-dad!”
I turned on him, pointing my finger. “And you! You haven’t even reached middle school age maturity yet! You’re like an elementary school kid on the playground pulling the hair of the person they like! Just ask out the freaking sheriff before we all get arrested!”
Atlas and Liam turned on Jude, smirking. “Yeah, Jude, just ask out the sheriff,” Liam taunted.
“Ugh! You guys are freaking ridiculous! Act your age!” I yelled, and I turned and stalked off towards my cabin. I wasn’t going to deal with them, and I certainly didn’t want to think too much about what Jude had said.
I got to the front door in record time, stalked inside, and started pacing across the living room. I knew I wasn’t really angry at Liam and Atlas and Jude, and I probably owed them an apology. Although, really, the whole thing with Jude and the sheriff was ridiculous. And Liam and Atlas had been pretty juvenile with Rick, wearing colored contacts to scare him. They’d said something about grabbing him around the neck, too, and I just hoped they hadn’t given him brain damage or something crazy because they cut off his oxygen supply.
I would feel bad if Rick were hurt, but I have to admit I’d feel even worse if the guys got into legal trouble and ended up in jail.Maybe that made me a bad person, but I was done worrying about Rick. I didn’t love him anymore, and I knew he didn’t love me. I wasn’t going to hold onto the memory of love, if he’d even been capable of loving me to begin with. The asshole was probably too self-centered to really care about anyone else.
Ugh. I was just soangry. I didn’t even know what to do with myself.
I heard the door open, and Wilder walked into the cabin, looking calm and unruffled, as usual. God, he was probably here to tell me he didn’t like methat way,since Jude had implied we were a thing or something. How freaking embarrassing. He just stood and stared at me, though.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I shouldn’t have yelled at them.”
“Oh, you totally should have,” Wilder answered, walking further into the room until he was near me. “They shouldn’t have done that, and it’s good for them to get called out on bad behavior.”
I paced away, still angry about Rick, and also angry that Jude had put me in this awkward situation with Wilder. I tried to keep my mouth shut, but Wilder was just staring at me, and I felt like I needed to say something.
“And the fact that Jude implied that we were… that you and I… Well, obviously that’s absurd. Not that I’m not super grateful for all the support you’ve given me, and if you’ve been leaving me Lego sets I’ve been a total asshole because I never said ‘thank you,’ so thank you for those, and for caring for me, and I’m sure you just see me like a kid or whatever, obviously, because you’re obviously older than me, and the idea that Jude thinks that I think that you might like melike thatwhen obviously you wouldn’t be interested in someone who is your son’s age is obviously absurd. Obviously.”
I was babbling. I was not a babbler. I think I’d said obviously about twelve times, and when I turned around, Wilder was just staring at me.
This would be so much easier if he wasn’t so sexy and so freakingnice and so darn supportive, because being able to lean against him with his arm around me had felt amazing.
I breathed out, my anger leaving me, and I leaned against the wall of the cabin, closing my eyes.
I really was an idiot, because I had to admit to myself that I actually had kind of hoped that Wilder was interested in me. But why on earth would he be? I was boring Josh. Works with numbers, no imagination Josh.
“I’m sorry,” I said, leaving my eyes closed. I was not going to start crying now. Wilder probably already thought I was an emotional basket case. “You should go check on the guys. I’m fine. I was just mad. I’m sorry.”
I heard the creak of a floor board, and I breathed out in disappointment, because I really didn’t want to be alone. Only then I felt Wilder’s hand on my face, lightly holding my cheek. My eyes flew open, and I was staring into Wilder’s eyes, because his face was really close to mine.
“Josh, if it’s okay, I’m going to kiss you now,” he said softly.
I just stared at him. He was going to… What?
