Page 16 of Shape Of My Heart
The doorbell rang, bringing him out of his memories. He wondered who that was. He wasn’t in the mood for visitors and actually noticed that his little PA hadn’t bothered to come back yesterday. He glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was nearly twelve. She’d been coming in at nine and he hadn’t heard her, so he was guessing this meantshe’dquit.
Good. She didn’t need to be here, he didn’t need her, and now he could tell Zelda that he wanted to do thingshisway.
The bell rang again, but this time with insistence. Josh got up to answer it because there was only one person who rang the belllikethat.
Corey stood on the porch with his hands in his pockets and a silly lopsided grin onhisface.
“Hey.” Josh offered a smallsmile.
“Heyyourself.”
Josh stepped aside so Corey could come in, then he closedthedoor.
“Is Allegra and friend here?” Coreyasked.
“Nope.”
“Good.” He actually sighed withrelief.
They went into the living room and sat down. Josh laid back on the larger sofa and placed his hands behind his head. Corey always came by at some point in the week for a pep talk, he just hadn’t expected him so soon as he’d only seen him on Monday. Josh rolled his head to the side, gearing up tohearit.
Corey sat forward and rested his elbows on hisknees.
“Okaytalk.”
“You’re sober,” Coreynoted.
“Yes, until youleave.”
“Josh…” Here we go. “You can’t continue likethis,man.”
Yup. That was how their conversation always began. Everysingleweek.
“I’m fine.” Josh grabbed a stress ball and started tossing it upanddown.
“You aren’t fine. You have problems, man, and one day soon it’s going to catch upwithyou.”
“Idon’tcare.”
“Butyoudo.”
“Why do I care, Corey? Tell me what is there to careabout?”
Corey frowned. “Josh, you’re acting like you don’t have friends orfamily.”
“I don’t have a family.They’redead.”
“You have a father, and he’s done nothingwrong.”
As far as he was concerned everyone was dead. He couldn’t face his father. Every time the thought crossed his mind he remembered how inconsolable he was as he cried by thegravesite.
Josh could never see him again.Notever.
“I can’t seehim,okay.”
“No, it isn’t okay. You’re living on drink and women.” He lowered his brows andgrimaced.
Josh looked over at him and smiled. “What’s wrongwiththat?”
