Page 94 of The Crush Next Door

Cold War Kids

The next several days, I waited and waited, hoping for that miracle. Maybe it was selfish of me. Maybe someone else who had witnessed the green flash needed that miracle more than I did.

What made me think anything special would happen for me? I didn't deserve it. Not after what I'd done.

And with each passing night, I fell into a depression that nothing great was going to happen. Maybe it was a coincidence for my dad that he'd had something amazing occur shortly after a green flash. Or maybe he actually deserved good things in his life. Unlike me.

It was painful as hell.

Josh nudged my knee with his. "Hey? You doing all right?"

I tore my glazed eyes away from the Dodgers game on his TV. "I'm okay."

He stared at me for a beat. "Just okay is not okay."

Rolling my eyes, I smiled at him. "I'm fine."

"Just fine is not fine."

Despite my mood, I couldn't help laughing. "Would you stop?"

His knee brushed against me again. "Nope. And you know why?"

"Why?"

"You need to snap the hell out of this funk you're in."

"What? What funk?"

He tilted his head while shooting me a glare. "What funk? Bro, you're grumpy all the time lately. And I get it. Believe me. Between the breakup and your dad, it's a lot. And it all totally sucks. But—"

"But what?" Now, I was starting to get seriously annoyed. Why couldn't he just let me wallow in self-pity?

Exhaling a deep sigh, he raked a hand through his hair. "Crap. I don't know what. I'm not trying to upset you. I just hate to see you like this."

"Like what?" I dared to ask, not sure I wanted to hear his answer.

His blue eyes penetrated my gaze, seeing things inside me that maybe I didn't want him to know. I saw the muscles in his throat work as he swallowed.

"Sad," he finally admitted. "I hate to see you so sad."

Something about the way he said it—not judging, not critical, but softly and with such care—made my heart flutter inside my chest. And I had no idea what to say because I was so confused at the moment.

"Maybe you need some time," Josh continued. "So it's fine. Totally fine. Keep being grumpy. Whatever you need, I just want you to know—"

I felt my phone buzz next to me and saw it was my grandma calling. Oh, God. Something had to be wrong for her to call me so randomly.

My heart in my throat, I answered immediately, bracing myself for the awful news that I was sure she was about to deliver. Was she ill? Was my grandfather in the hospital? Had he died?

"Grandma?" I said. "Is everything okay?"

"Fine. Fine. More than fine. We need you to come over right away, dear. Okay?"

"Come over? Why? What happened?"

"It's a—it's a, um, plumbing issue in the kitchen. And we need your help cleaning up."

Huh. Weird. "Do you need extra towels or something? A mop maybe?"

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