“Connor, let’s go,” I said, dragging him to his feet. “I’m not pulling your arse out of jail in the morning.”
Now, thinking back to that party, I felt grim. I hoped Connor was going to okay, that it wasn’t too late to save him from whatever shit he’d gotten himself involved with.
I guess only time would tell.
Chapter Fourteen
Kate
“Oh my god,” I gasped, putting a hand to my mouth as I stared at Josh. “What are you doing here?”
Before he could reply, Lizzy jumped to her feet. She gave me a shifty look but didn’t say anything. “I guess I’ll leave you two alone to talk,” she said as she slipped past me and closed the door.
My mouth was still hanging open. It was really Josh, in the flesh. Josh Manning. The same man whose dark grey eyes and dark brown hair used to make my heart race. But now he just looked like a delinquent. He was too pale and always dressed in dark clothes. Today, he was wearing a leather jacket over a ripped up black t-shirt and dark jeans, and I knew the shirt must be for show; I recognized his shoes as a brand that sold for over four figures. It was a carefully constructed look that was supposed to say ‘I don’t care’ but really, all it said to me was ‘I have more money than sense’.
“Hey. You look amazing,” Josh said.
He stood up and reached out for me. I offered my hand instead and we shook awkwardly. Ever since I’d decided to break it off with him, my mind had been filled with excuses as to why we couldn’t get back together, but now, he looked cocky and self-aware.
“Thanks,” I said shortly, lowering myself down into a chair. “Why are you here?”
Josh laughed. “Kate, your social graces aren’t much improved by vacationing,” he said with a wry smirk. “Aren’t you glad to see me?”
I didn’t reply.
“Come on, it was a joke,” Josh said, holding his palms up. “I came a long way to see you, and I have news from your producer. Don’t you care about that?”
“Fine,” I said, letting out a long breath. “But I really don’t have that long. I was hoping to spend the day shopping with Lizzy.”
Josh chuckled again. “It’s not even eight in the morning yet,” he said casually, smirking at me until a blush rose in my cheeks. “Lizzy’s only just woken up, and I can’t think of where you have to be this early. And I thought you hated mornings?”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, this one isn’t looking so good,” I mumbled. “But shows how much you know. I’ve changed since you last saw me.”
“I can tell,” Josh said in a joking tone. When I didn’t laugh along with him, the laughter in his eyes faded.
“So, what’s up?” I leaned back with my legs crossed at the ankle and put my hands in my lap. It was the exact same pose that I used on the set of Keeping Current With Kate. I hoped Josh would notice, or at least take my professionalism as a cue to return the behavior.
“I really care about you, Kate,” Josh said. “And maybe it took you leaving for that to sink in, but it really hit me. I want to be with you.” He looked at me, his dark eyes pleading. I felt a wave of guilt go through my body, quickly replaced with irritation. “I mean it, Kate.”
I shook my head. “So what’s the news from my producer?”
Josh ignored my question. “And I can’t stop thinking about you, and why we belong together. I know I was pushing you into something you weren’t ready for, and I want to apologize for that.”
I relaxed. “So you’re here to tell me that you know you were wrong?”
He shook his head and gave me a proud smile. “No,” he said. “I’m here to tell you that I’m willing to be patient. That I’m willing to wait for you, to do things on your terms.”
I frowned. “But Josh, we broke up, and your behavior made me lose any interest I ever had in you,” I said plainly. “I don’t know what else to say to you. I’m sorry, I know it sounds harsh, but I’m just being honest with you.”
“I can’t hold back with you!” Josh’s voice grew in pitch and he stood up from the couch. When I didn’t reply, he started pacing back and forth in Lizzy’s narrow living room. “I can’t live without you, Kate. I need you!”
I swallowed. “Josh, this is going to be uncomfortable, but I need you to understand how I feel.” At the mention of my feelings, Josh perked up. “Despite what you think of me, the problem was that I didn’t feel the same way about you.”
Josh perked up again and I blushed. “I mean, I don’t feel the same way about you. That hasn’t changed,” I continued.