Chapter 11
The soft glow of the living room lights cast a wams bute across the space as Josiah came in from the garage, carrying the gift box in his hands. His fingers paused for a moment on the rich blue velvet, gently brushing the unopened wrapping paper.
He could not tell what was inside just by feeling it, which piqued his curiosity. Priscilla usually handed him gifts straight up. She wouldn’t wrap it fancily. This was the first time she had put in that kind of effort.
Just as he was about to start unwrapping it, his phone suddenly vibrated on the coffee table. The name “Brittany Dresler” lit up the screen like a sharp pin bursting a bubble, slicing through the cory, amber light in the room.
“Josh, where did you go?” came a drowsy, slightly slurred voice from the other end. It sounded like she had not fully sobered up yet.
“I’m home. What’s wrong?” Josiah stopped unwrapping the box when he heard Brittany’s voice, and his tone automatically softened.
“I don’t feel so good. Why aren’t you here with me?“.
At the sound of her sweet, sleepy voice, Josial dropped the box, grabbed his coat with one hand and his car keys with the other, and beaded straight for the door. “I’m coming now. Just hang right for me, alright!?”
By the time Josiah arrived at Brittany’s place, the sky had already started to brighten with the first light of dawn. He spent the whole morning taking care of her until she finally fell asleep, and then, too exhausted to drive back, he crashed right there on her couch with his coat still on.
When he finally woke up, it was already afternoon. Brittany had just stepped out of the bathroom in her pajamas and caught him sitting upright on the couch, looking slightly dazed
She plopped down beside him and handed him the towel in her hand. “Josh, help me dry my hair.”
Snapping out of his fog, Josiah took the towel and began gently patting her hair dry. Once he was done, he got up, went to the bathroom, and returned with a blow dryer to finish the job.
“Brittany, about what you said at the party last night-” Josiah finally spoke up after her hair was dry, but she cut him off before he could finish.
“My confession wasn’t just a spur–of–the–moment thing, Josh. So now, I’m officially your girlfriend. Is there anything you would like to do to your girlfriend right now?” Brittany murmured as she snuggled seductively into his anns.
“No. That’s not what I was going to ask. I’m just wondering, when did I divorce Priscilla? I haven’t even been able to reach her.”
“Josh, I thought you’d be too busy being happy about us finally being together. Priscilla was just a stand–in, but we weren’t. I’m yours now. Why are you still worried about someone who doesn’t matter? Brittany’s voice had a sharp edge to it.
Josials was unsure why, but something about that did not sit right with him
brittany continued, “She told me that you guys were divorced and even showed me the divorce certificate. She said you couldn’t wait to be with me, and that’s why you ended things with her. I mean, she didn’t even show up to your birthday yesterday, and you’re still thinking about her?”
“Divorce certificate? I’m divorced?” Josials was stunned to leam that not only was he suddenly divorced, but Priscilla had also claimed he was the one who had ended things
It was not like he didn’t have any feelings for Priscilla. After all, through all the times brittany shut him down or ignored him, it was Priscilla who stuck around. He han just wanted to be there for Brittany more since she had just moved back from abroad and did not know many people yet. He wondered if Priscilla had ended their marriage over that.
Peticing the change in his expression, Brittany did not hesitate to pin all the blame on Friscilla, he said, “She threatened me, you know. She said that if I didn’t li her, she’d spread rumors in our old college group that I was a homewrecker and ruin my reputation”
”
“She really said that? Josiah found it hard to believe, Priscilla had always been calio, soft–spoken, and respectful. She never struck him as someone who would pull something like that,
“What, you don’t believe me?” Brittany snapped, shooting him a glane before turning away with a pout.
Josiah stared at her sliding silhouette and tried to de–escalate the situation. “No, I believe you. I just… didn’t think that she’d treat you like that. Weren’t you two college roommates and close friends?”
With a straight face, Brittany led and said, “Priscilla was never my friend. She was always jealous of me. If she hadn’t told me that she liked you, introduced you to her in the first place. Lonly dated Floyd because she pushed me to.”
“Walt, she introduced you to Floyd? Josials, now fully distracted, fell into Brittany’s trap without realizing it.
I wouldn’t burve
When Brittany sensed that he had taken the bait, she continued trashing Piscilla without skipping a beat. She knew Josiah had been with Priscilla for years. Even though he had always chased after her, there was no way he did not have lingering feelings for the woman who had stuck by his side.
Altecall, why else would Josiah still cling to Priscilla after the divorce, even after she had confessed her feelings?
But any could not allow that. She said, “Yeah, it was her idea. She set me up with Floyd and forced me to introduce you to her. She even threatened to break Floyd and me up if I didn’t make it happen I was manipulated by her back then. I couldn’t even see how I really felt.”
