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Awkwardly, with both of us laughing, we moved closer to each other and Josh put his arms around me, tucking my head under his chin.
His bare skin against my cheek felt... well, it felt amazing. Why was he so warm? He squeezed a little, and I truly felt comforted, like someone in this world cared about me. Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply, Josh's embrace filling my soul.
"I can't see you cry and not give you a hug," he said, his voice vibrating and rumbling through me.
He really had a kind heart.
Pulling back, putting some distance between us, I beamed at him. "Who knew my player neighbor was going to be such a softie?"
"Hey, I'm a reformed player."
Smiling, I gave him one of my infamous eye-rolls. "We'll see about that."
"I'm still celibate, bro, and don't forget who won that little bet."
I laughed. "I'm sure you'll never let me forget."
"Nope. Not a chance."
Magic made weird barking noises in his sleep, drawing our attention to where he napped on the floor. I stifled a huge yawn as exhaustion overwhelmed me. What an emotional night. I was desperate for some sleep. Thank God it was Sunday tomorrow—well, technically, it was already Sunday—but I was very grateful that I didn't have to go to work.
"All right," Josh said when Magic quieted down. "I'm gonna head out. You'll be okay?"
No. Not really. But I didn't say that. "I'll be fine."
Josh's eyes narrowed as he studied my face. "You know what? If you don't mind, I'll just crash on your couch. Is that cool?"
"You want to sleep on my couch?" I asked, shocked.
"I'm too lazy to go home. Besides, I want to be here for this guy..." He nodded towards Magic. "...in case there's another earthquake."
I couldn't deny that the idea of Josh staying here was incredibly comforting. "Okay. If you're sure."
"Yep." Yawning, he grabbed one of my many decorative couch cushions and lay down, shoving it behind his head. "Do you happen to have any pillows without sequins?"
God, he made me laugh. "Maybe."
Going to the hall closet, I pulled out a comfy extra pillow and another blanket. "Here," I said as I handed it all to him.
After tossing the offending throw pillow to the side, he settled in again, this time releasing a sigh like he was very comfortable. "Ah, much better."
"Good."
For a moment, we looked at each other, and I wasn't sure what to say. This was weird. Very weird.
"Well, good night," he said.
"Good night." I started to walk away, then turned back. "Hey, Josh?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you." That didn't seem quite adequate. "Thank you for all your help. Thank you for listening to me. Thank you for believing me."
Even in the dim light, I could see his cheeks flush, and I knew I'd made him uncomfortable. "It was nothing really."
Smiling, I made my way down the hall, not wanting to dwell on it and make him even more uneasy.
It was nothing? Well, to me... it was everything.
