Joshua Healy (The Mitchell/Healy Family #10)(43)
"Sorry it took so long. We couldn’t get the spiders to sink in the glow serum."
"I don't even want to know what that means."
"So your mom mentioned something to me while I was downstairs. She said Wes and Cammie are bringing Livvy with them. She wanted to make sure we'd be okay with it."
Josh sits up with worried eyes. "Why is she coming?"
"I don't know. I figured she's come before."
"I don't want her here."
"Why? If it's because of me, I'm over that. We have something good, Josh. She's your ex, who happens to be my old best friend. Now I have you to fill that category."
"I think it's best if we stayed away from her. I want you to have a good time."
"I will. Stop worrying about me. There's nothing she can say to change my mind about you. You're mine and I'm yours. She's not in this relationship."
"She's trouble. That's all I'm going to say. I plan on avoiding her at all costs."
"Are you okay?" I question. "You seem off, aside from the Livvy thing."
"Just thinking about the work that needs to get done for this party. It's a lot of running around."
"Anything I can do to relax you?" I drive my hand down his jeans until I'm touching hot flesh. He adjusts so that I’m able to work my magic. While I begin to stroke him, I speak softly. “Do you have any idea how much I appreciate you?”
“I’m not perfect, babe. Don’t put me on too high of a pedestal. I wouldn’t want you to get disappointed when I f*ck up royally.”
“I think we could get through anything, because when it feels this right it has to be true.”
“I hope so. It would break me to lose what we have.” Josh is quiet when I further down and cup his balls. I massage them as he regains enough composure to continue. “I was thinking. You’re here all the time anyway. You should just bring your things and keep them in my closet. Shit, you could probably use one of my sister’s rooms, being that they don’t live here anymore.”
I stop moving my hand. “Joshua Healy, are you asking me to move in officially?”
He cups my face with his hands. “I am. I need you to know how important you are to me. I hate having to tell you goodnight when you’re not in this bed next to me. Will you think about it?”
I nod. I’m excited. I’ve never lived with a guy before. It would be a big step, but I’m not afraid. I spend almost every single night with him and make the commute to school and work, because it’s worth it to wake up and see him beside me. “I don’t have to think about it.”
He kisses me, taking his time to savor my lips. “I love you.” We open our eyes at the same time, but remain close. “I never thought those words would come so easy.”
“Maybe it’s because you weren’t with the right person.”
He clenches his jaw and looks away. “You might be right.” I’m not sure, but I get the feeling he’s not comfortable with Livvy being at the Halloween party. Honestly, I don’t know how I’ll feel when I see her. We didn’t stop being friends because of some petty argument. She was seeing this guy that I’d liked for a while. He broke up with her because he became interested in me. Even though I made him wait months before I’d give him a chance, she never forgave me. Maybe I was wrong to date him, or there is some kind of high school code I wasn’t aware of. In all honesty, she never seemed that interested in him in the first place. I sort of felt like she was dating him to spite me; to prove she always got what she wanted. The guy later told me she was a shitty person. She stole my clothes when I was in gym class, so I had to wear a stinky high school gym uniform for the remainder of that day. Another time, I came out of school and had three flattened tires. She stole my class report when they were passed up to the teacher and got me a failing grade. She had people tell the guy I was seeing that I’d cheated and was using pills behind his back.
For a while it was ugly. The summer came. The relationship ended, but it was clear Livvy and I would never be friends again. She’s phony.
The fact that Josh loved her makes me frustrated. She’s not a good person. I hope he sees that now.
People are showing up that I recognize from pictures. I’m introduced to Christian, Ethan, Addison, and Cole first. Then my heart starts racing when the famous country singer in the family steps in the barn. Shalan Mitchell is carrying a child, while her handsome husband follows behind. He and Josh could pass as brothers. There’s an older man carrying a toddler, who I’m certain is Colt, Conner’s cousin.
Then the introductions commence. That older man comes right up to Josh and gives him a bear hug. “It’s good to see you.” He turns his attention to me and pulls me into his arms. “You must be Tamsyn. Welcome to the family, darlin’.” I snicker when he calls me that, and Josh knows why. It’s not until his uncle moves on to the next family when I mention it. “See, it fits when he says it.”
“Whatever, darlin’,” Josh jokes with a wink.
I meet his aunt Savanna, who they call Van. She hugs me too, and when it happens I get a whiff of vanilla. She smells like heaven, and her smile is contagious. She’s a stunning woman. They actually make a lovely couple.