We Were Us Read Online Free PDF Page B

She was ready to leave tiny Riverview behind and start new.
    Once I was satisfied with my ensemble and hair do, I slumped on the couch and waited for Josh. The sun was low in the sky to the point where it would shine through the window at any moment. I stared at the window lost in a game I made up in my head. Waiting for the sun. I looked past the trees and houses and could almost see the roof of Michelle’s house. I thought about going over there, but Josh’s reaction to my idea, and Mayor Banks’ threatening words, held me back. I missed her and I wanted to explain to her what had happened. I hoped she knew that I was sorry and that I had no idea my mother was sleeping with her father.
    A soft knock startled me out of my trance. I cursed under my breath and leapt to the door. There was Josh dressed in dark blue jeans, grey plaid shirt with light blue stripes that picked up the blue of his eyes.
    His face twisted into a look of shock and pain when he saw me. I looked down at myself and stood there awkwardly while I tried to figure out what the cause of his reaction was.
    “Umm…” I said and looked down at my boots.
    “Where’d you get that dress?” he asked in an accusatory way.
    “I bought it a couple years ago. I wore it for my high school graduation. Michelle has the same one. We were supposed to wear them together,” I rambled on.
    “Oh.” he looked mildly relieved.
    Wow. I thought this dress would get me a kiss at the end of the night. Instead, I get moody negative noncommittal, non-word reactions. I checked his face again, he still looked uncomfortable, but he managed a smile.
    “Should I change?” I turned back into the house, fully ready to strip and find something less awkward to wear.
    “No. Its fine, you’re fine. You look fine.”
    Fine was not what I was looking for either.
    “Okay.” I grabbed my purse before heading out the door with Josh. He shuffled and coughed behind me while I locked the door. I turned back to him and was greeted with one of his patented grins. While most of Josh’s friends on the football team had perfected the ‘panty-dropping smile’, Josh had somehow transcended beyond panty dropping straight to heart melting and swoon worthy. He was like a Disney prince or something. The Beast after Belle breaks the spell. That was the smile I had wanted to see.
    “I’m sorry. You look beautiful tonight. It’s a beautiful dress.”
    Josh took my hand and led me out to his truck. My heart skipped a beat when he lifted me up into it. Why was I being such a girl right now? I’d thought of Josh non-stop for the whole week, I’d gone over every possible scenario that we could encounter. I did that so I wouldn’t look like an idiot or say stupid things. But I was not prepared for the way I reacted to his touch. It wasn’t like an electric shock or anything, more like white hot liquid pulsating from where he touched through my whole body.
    We drove an hour into the city for dinner and we didn’t say a word the entire time. It was silent and awkward. I watched him start to say something a dozen times then just cough and shift uncomfortably. Where was his confidence from the other day when he’d asked me out? Was it the dress that had thrown him off?
    ***
    The restaurant was small and stuffy, the food was mediocre, the staff was downright awful, and we both knew it. Josh sent back his steak three times before it was done correctly. We weren’t offered a discount, but we were given a coupon to come back again. Not likely. I felt bad that Josh had driven an hour for this.
    “I’m sorry,” he said as we were finishing our meal.
    “It’s fine. It was better than the peanut butter and jelly I would have had.” We both laughed.
    “So do you still play softball?” he asked breaking the silence
    “Yeah, I do. I got a small scholarship for college even.”
    “Oh wow. That’s great.”
    “Yeah. I was somewhat surprised. I mean, I only played one season at the school, but I had