Page 45 of Revelation (The Josh & Kat Trilogy #2)
“I know Jonas seems like some kind of gorilla-robot, but he’s actually really sensitive.
Always has been, especially when it comes to women.
” He shakes his head. “Like, take my mom, for instance. Even when he was little, Jonas didn’t just love her, he worshipped her.
I loved her, too, of course. With all my heart.
And yet, even I could see Jonas loved her differently than I did.
As far as he was concerned, Mom was literally an angel. ”
I feel the sudden urge to get even closer to him. I slide myself onto his lap and wrap my arms around his neck.
He wraps his arms around my back in reply.
“He was the same way with Mariela, too,” Josh continues.
“Our housekeeper before my mom died. I used to beg Jonas to come outside to climb a tree with me and he’d be like, ‘No, I’m gonna clean pots with Mariela.
’” Josh laughs and shakes his head at the memory.
“Right after my mom died, it’s a long story, but my dad blamed Mariela for my mom’s death and sent her away—and Jonas just completely melted down.
I guess losing them both was just too much for the little guy.
” Emotion threatens to overtake Josh’s face. He looks down and composes himself.
“You lost them, too,” I say softly, touching his arm.
Josh looks back up, his face earnest. “Yeah, but I’m not Jonas .”
“I don’t understand.”
He shakes his head. “I’m Josh . The fixer.
The closer. Life throws shit at me, I just deal with it.
I solve problems. I fix things. I’m coated in Teflon, baby—shit slides right off me and doesn’t leave a mark.
But not Jonas. Even Mariela told me, ‘Take care of your brother, Josh. You know he’s the sensitive one. ’”
“So you thought it was your job to take care of Jonas, even though you were so little, too?”
“It’s always been my job to take care of Jonas, and it always will be.
I’m sure in the womb Jonas was trying to understand the functionality of the umbilical cord or articulate the meaning of life, and I was like, ‘Dude, chill the fuck out—doesn’t this amniotic fluid feel awesome ? It’s like a Jacuzzi!’”
I know Josh’s words are funny, but the expression on his face isn’t. My heart’s suddenly aching for him. I push myself even closer into him, run my hands through his hair, and kiss him gently. When we break apart, tears are streaming down my cheeks, but Josh’s eyes are bone-dry.
“When was the last time you cried?” I ask softly.
He shrugs. “Probably not since I was about ten. I cried like a baby when my mom died and Mariela got sent away, and I used to cry a ton the first few years whenever Jonas got sent away. But then one day when Jonas was gone, my dad found me sitting on the grass, crying my eyes out, and he reamed me for being a ‘fucking cry-baby-pussy-ass.’” He shrugs.
“And that was that. I never cried again. I’ve come very, very close many times since then, but I’ve never actually shed a tear. ”
I’m blown away. “Not once?”
He shakes his head. “I think there might be something wrong with me.”
I make a sad face .
“So, anyway, I got sidetracked. I was supposed to be telling you how Miss Westbrook got Jonas to talk, right?” He shifts his body underneath me and I’m treated to the unmistakable sensation of his hard-on poking me in the crotch.
“ Oh ,” I say. “Hello.”
“Hello.” He grins.
“What’s that for?”
“You’re sitting on my lap.”
“That’s all it takes?”
“Apparently.”
I grin at him. “That’s all it takes for me, too,” I say.
“I’m addicted to you,” he whispers.
“I’m addicted to you,” I whisper back, my heart racing.
He nuzzles his nose into mine. We kiss gently for a few minutes, listening to the music. My crotch is absolutely burning.
He pulls back. “What were we talking about?”
“Miss Westbrook.”
“Oh, yeah.” He lays a quick peck on my lips.
“Jonas became Miss Westbrook’s after-school helper, and to make a long story short, she did this crazy, amazing thing he hadn’t experienced in a really long time: she was nice to him.
” He shrugs. “And that’s pretty much it—well, and she was smoking hot, too. ” He grins.
“But how do you think she convinced him to speak? A year’s a long time.”
“I don’t know exactly what she said or did to him when they were all alone in that classroom, but whatever it was, he adored her.
She could have asked Jonas to fly and he would have figured out how to sprout wings.
” He sighs. “All I can say is it’s a good thing Sarah’s not some kind of evil madman bent on destroying the universe because if she were, we’d all be screwed.
The boy would figure out how to do it for her. ”
“I think the feeling’s mutual.”
Josh nuzzles my nose again. “Don’t tell Sarah, but Jonas is gonna pop the question.”
I’m floored. “ What ?”
Josh grins broadly. “He’s been sending me photos of rings this whole past week. Hang on.” He rearranges me on his lap so he can grab his phone from his pocket. “See? ”
I look at his screen—and sure enough, Jonas has texted Josh countless images of diamond rings, all of them bigger than my head.
“Holy Hope Diamond, Batman,” I say.
Josh laughs. “Which one do you think Sarah would like the best? Jonas won’t leave me alone about it.”
I scroll through the images, shaking my head. “Hell, if I know. They’re all freaking spectacular—oh, wait. No. This one . Wow.” I point to a princess-cut dazzler that, for whatever reason, screams “Sarah” to me. “She’s gonna totally freak out.”
“Bless you.” Josh grabs his phone from me and shoots off a quick text to Jonas. “You just saved me from hours of torture, Kat. Thank you.”
“When’s he gonna ask her?”
“In two weeks—he’s taking her on a surprise trip to Greece right after her final exams.”
I gasp. “He’s gonna ask her in Greece ? Oh my God.” I clutch my heart. “Oh my shit, Sarah’s gonna crap her pants. Greece ?”
“You ever been there?”
“No, remember? I’ve only been out of the country to Mexico and on a cruise to the Caribbean. I told you about the cruise and you said the only way to travel by sea is by private yacht.”
Josh laughs. “I said that? Oh my God, I’m such a douche sometimes.”
I laugh.
He nuzzles my nose. “So get this, babe. Jonas is planning to make poor Sarah hike to the top of Mount Olympus —because, he says, she’s ‘the goddess and the muse’”—he chuckles happily—“and then he’s gonna make her jump off the mountain and paraglide down to the beach—and that’s where he’s gonna ask her.
” He laughs heartily. “So fucking Jonas.”
“But Sarah’s deathly afraid of heights.”
He touches my hair. “Well, sucks to be her, then. He wants to create some kind of metaphor .”
My brain tells me I should smile and laugh, but my eyes unexpectedly fill with tears instead. Oh my God, I’m a hot mess. I cover my face with my hands. What the hell is wrong with me lately?
“Kat? What’s wrong?” He looks genuinely concerned. “Why are you crying? ”
I shake my head and laugh at myself through my tears.
“I’m just so happy for Sarah,” I say, but even as I say it, I’m not sure if this completely explains my sudden (bizarre) tears (though, of course, I am insanely happy for Sarah).
“I dunno, maybe I’m just so freakin’ relieved Sarah’s okay—I was so worried about her when she was attacked.
” Another true statement—but, again, I’m not sure this is the source of my tears.
“Or maybe I’m just sloppy-drunk. That was a really strong drink, Josh. ” I half-smile.
Or maybe finding out Jonas is gonna propose to Sarah made my heart pang for myself, if I’m being brutally honest. Maybe my heart clanged so forcefully inside my chest cavity when Josh said those words, the sensation literally brought tears to my eyes.
Josh looks at me funny for a long beat.
I feel like I’ve said something wrong. Or, at least something awkward. I didn’t just now say my deepest thoughts out loud, did I?
After a moment, Josh grabs my face and kisses me passionately. Whoa. This is quite a kiss.
“You’re a good friend,” Josh whispers into my lips, his passion obviously surging all of a sudden. “I like that about you.”
“Josh,” I breathe. His kiss has ignited me.
He rises off the couch, taking my fluttering, swooning, aroused body with him—and I throw my arms around his neck.
“Okay, Party Girl with a Hyphen,” Josh says, his eyes blazing. “Time to finish the tour of my house. Next stop: my bedroom.”