Twisted Reality (Blind Reality #2) (15 page)

“Welcome, home,” Rob, Josh’s best friend says as he comes out from what I’m assuming to be the kitchen area. I’ve seen him in many photos and a few interviews with Josh, but can’t place which movies he’s been in. He’s good looking with his dark hair and defined cheekbones.

Josh and Rob hug, patting each other on their backs while I stand here. I feel like I’m intruding on some sort of bromance.

“You have to meet my Joey,” Josh says to Rob as he turns to face me. I step forward with my hand out to shake his, but Rob pulls me into his arms, catching me off guard.

“You deserve a gold medal for putting up with him,” he remarks, holding on a little bit longer than necessary. He’s right, I do, but not because of Josh as a person, but the drama that surrounds him.

“It wasn’t so bad,” I reply, referring to the show. Truth is, up until this past week, everything has been bliss.

Josh pushes Rob out of the way and takes me into his arms. I’m half expecting him to piss on me right in front of him to mark his territory.

“Let’s get unpacked,” Josh suggests, but refuses to let me go until Rob reaches for the bags that are on the floor. Josh follows with his arms full, leaving me nothing to carry and no choice but to follow them down a tiny hallway. I stand back when they enter what I’m assuming is Josh’s bedroom and wait for Rob to exit. He winks at me when he passes by and starts whistling as he retreats down the hall.

“It’s small,” Josh says when I step into the room. I shut the door quietly behind me, wanting privacy. Small is an understatement, but I should’ve expected this. He warned me before that he lived simply because he was afraid to run out of money and yet we’re looking at places to buy when maybe we should rent.

“It is, but it reminds me of my bedroom.” As I look around I realize Josh and I aren’t much different. Here I am, a college graduate who had to move home because her life went to hell in a hand basket right before her eyes and is living in her childhood bedroom. If we were at my house, Josh and I would be sleeping in a double bed, crammed into the corner with my embarrassing high school photos staring at us from the corkboard hanging on my wall.

He dumps the bags he’s holding on his bed and hangs my wedding dress in his closet. Before I can blink, he’s pulling me into his arms and kissing my neck.

“It’s temporary. The first place we like, we move,” he says in between kisses. I burn with desire for him, but quell any thoughts about being with him. I have a feeling we’ll be regulated to the bathroom where the water can block out the noises that we make. It’ll be like being back in the house with prying eyes and eavesdropping ears.

“Gah, you need to stop that,” I tell him, pushing him away. The smirk across his face tells me that he has no intention of stopping. I shake my head and sidestep him so I can look around his room … our room for the time being. There are scripts on his dresser and a small jewelry box. I’m tempted to open it and snoop, but I refrain. If there is something in there that he wants me to see, he’ll show me.

A sudden burst of giddiness falls over me. I look at Josh, who is watching my every move.

“I’m in Josh Wilson’s bedroom,” I say, trying to contain my laughter.

“Seriously?”

I nod, biting my lower lip to hold back a squeal of delight.

Laughing, Josh scoops me up in his arms and lays us roughly onto his bed. “You’re excited because you’re in my room?”

“Yes. I can’t explain it.”

“After everything we’ve done, this box is what gets your heart racing?”

I turn slightly so I can see him clearly. He hasn’t shaved in a few days and his eyes close as I run my fingers through his whiskers, loving the way they tickle my flesh.

“You make my heart race, Josh. Every time you’re near, when you’re close and when I know I’m about to see you again after a long day of being apart. You know how I feel and how being married to you has been like a dream, a surreal moment in my life and I’m often wondering if I’m going to wake and find that this isn’t my reality. To me, you’re a dream come true, my Prince Charming and my happily ever after. Our relationship is unconventional. We didn’t date, you didn’t have to woo me, and because of our circumstances I was pretty much a sure thing so yeah, being in your room, where you slept each night before you and I started sharing a bed, is a big thing for me. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve imagined where you live or what your room looks like.”

“You’re such a little stalker,” he says, tickling my side until I bat his hand away. Once my giggling fit subsides everything seems to shift.

“I can’t wait to see your room, Joey. I want to go to your hometown, walk Main Street with you, share ice cream and sit on your back patio and drink a beer with your dad. I want to meet all your family, carry your cousins around on my back, and take a walk with you in the woods.”

The way he talks about wanting to be at my house makes me question why we even flew to Los Angeles when we could’ve easily flown to Oregon. I want him to meet my family, be immersed in the love that we have for one another and cringe when my great aunt comes toward him to pinch his cheeks.

“So why are we here then?”

“I don’t know. I don’t start filming for another month and it’s local. Let’s go,” he exclaims, jumping off of his bed. He picks up our suitcases from earlier and sets them on the bed. “Do we need to even unpack?”

Sitting up, I look at him questioningly. “We don’t have tickets.”

He shrugs. “So what? We’ll go to the airport and buy them.” Josh crawls over the bags and toward me until I’m leaning against the wall. His lips are soft and eager against mine. “Let’s be spontaneous. I want to spend some time with your family before I have to start work again. I want to meet the people that created my wife and hear all about her childhood. Can we?”

Happy tears well in my eyes as I smile with an eager nod. “Yes, we can. My parents are going to be so happy.”

Josh hops off the bed again, but this time he’s pulling me with him. I laugh at how excited he is.

After Josh makes a phone call to get a car service, we grab our stuff and head back to the living room, where Rob is watching television.

“Hey, man, we’re taking off to the beach for a bit,” he tells him. The lie confuses me, but I play along.

“Yeah, man, I get it. You don’t want me hearing you bang against the wall.”

My cheeks flush red as Rob waggles his eyebrows at us.

“Something like that,” Josh replies. I want to hit him but realize this is guy talk. They’re best friends, not just roommates so they probably talk about crap like this. Girls do, too, believe me. If I still had my best friend I’d be gushing like a crazy fool about Josh.

Dread washes over me instantly when I think about her. Once she finds out we’re in town, she’ll be at my house wanting a piece of my happiness because taking Tony from me wasn’t enough. My extreme upgrade in the man department will have her claws out, I’m sure.

I’
ve never been one to be spontaneous, but listening to Joey tell me about how she feels being in my room sparked something deep within me. I know shit is about to get crazy with Jules and right now I want the solitude of family around me before my life becomes a media storm.

I missed the opportunity to meet her parents after the show’s finale and owe it her and them to make this happen. I didn’t even give Joey a chance to freshen up or decide what she wanted to take—I called for a car, picked up our already packed suitcase, and said farewell to Rob.

It’s only after I bought our tickets and we’re through security that Joey tells me there isn’t a super easy way to get to her house. I mean, why would there be? Nothing since the show has been easy for us.

“Did you call and let your mother know?” I ask, as I’m loading the rental car with our luggage. This feels like déjà vu, except I’m not working and we’re not hiding from anyone. I’m going to kick back and enjoy a beer or two with my father-in-law before life rears its ugly head at me.

“No, I thought we’d surprise them.”

“What if they’re busy?”

Joey furrows her brow, wrinkling her forehead. “Gross.”

“Joey.” My voice has a warning tone. “Have I not been keeping you well sated?”

“What?” She looks around to make sure no one is listening.

I go to her and wrap my arms around her shoulder, keeping her locked in my arms. “You’re a dirty girl.”

“You said it, not me!”

“Tsk, tsk. I was merely mentioning we should give them a heads up that we’re coming. It would be the right thing to do.”

She narrows her eyes at me, trying to figure out if I’m full of shit or not. After kissing her nose, I release her with a swat on her ass.

“Let’s go, babe. Someone forgot to tell me that they live in the middle of nowhere and I’m ready to get sneaky with my wife in her childhood bedroom.”

“Oh my God, Josh. Just drive!”

Unlike when we drove in Alabama, we don’t stop in each little town that we came to. Joey suggested that we leave her parents early before going back to Los Angeles and maybe spend the night at the motels we came across and pretend like we’re college kids on a budget. I laughed at the budget part because she still hasn’t grasped the fact that I can afford nicer hotels. However, I agreed and told her that I’d thought it’d be romantic, which in turn she unknowingly batted her eyelashes at me.

It’s the small things in life that I’m starting to hold onto longer, like when she’s almost asleep and I tell her that I love her. Her reply is always the same, met with a sigh.

Between loud music, sign-offs, and all the munchies we could possibly eat we finally arrive at her parents. A long driveway that I never thought would end, opened up to this vast property with an amazing two story home complete with a wraparound porch. When I was little I’d see houses like this and wonder about the families who lived inside. And now I know.

Off to the left, in the distance, there’s a pond with a dock. I don’t remember Joey telling me anything about a swimming hole at her house, but then again I spent a lot of time trying not to get to know her. The yard is expansive and where the woods are close to the house, I see a trail starting. Hiking with Joey will be an experience I can’t wait to embark on.

“You’re the Waltons.” I’m a little awestruck by their house. Someone is … well, was sitting on the swing, swaying back and forth until we pulled in and now they’re walking down the steps toward us, one of whom happens to look like an older version of Joey. The screen door opens and I swear I can hear the faint squeak that I would expect the door to make as her father walks out.

Even before I see the inside, I know this is a home. This is where people are loved and they love the people who come to visit. I’m already imagining pictures of Joey all over the walls, and maybe even our wedding picture. It wasn’t great, but it’s still ours until we get a new one. It’s been years since I’ve been in a home where two people love each other and I have a feeling I’m not going to want to leave.

“No, not the Waltons, only the Mitchells and now the Wilsons,” she says. Joey gets out of the car before I can come up with a snappy retort. I watch as she runs to her parents who pick up their pace once they see it’s her. This was a great idea … no, not great, freaking amazing.

My eyes are completely focused on what’s happening in front of me. The love these two have for her, even though her mother signed her up for the show, is indescribable. It’s only when her father starts walking toward the car do I get.