AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“He’s a good man. One of the best. There’s not very many out there like him.”
I’m not sure I can trust my instincts anymore. It’s nice to know I’m not wrong about Slade.
I need to ask, one more time, to be sure. “The two of you…is there something…?”
“Me and Slade? Oh my gosh, no. I thought we made that clear.”
“Just checking.” I shrug.
“He’s my brother. I mean, he’s like my brother,” Joss assures me. “He takes care of me. I can never repay him for taking me in, giving me a place to live, hiring a nurse to come in and care for me twice a day, and for giving me the receptionist job here at Sheridan House. He saved me when I had no place else to go. But it’s not likethatbetween us. Never has been, never will be. We have a brother-sister relationship. Anything else is laughable. It's not there for us. Dex is the one for me,” Joss says with conviction.
I don’t need more. Got it. Slade is free.
So am I.
Joss loves the other brother. Poindexter. “Do you mind if I ask what happened to Dex?”
It takes her a while to answer my question. So long I’m not sure she’s going to respond.
Joss watches the bubble show, her expression intense. “He left after the accident that put me in this chair,” she whispers.
I’m speechless, filled with so many questions, I don’t know what to ask first. “I’m so sorry.”
“We were engaged. Life was as close to perfect as it can get.” Joss hesitates. “Things went wrong for us. We didn’t even see it coming.”
“How long ago was your accident?”
“Two years.”
“Was it a car accident?” My words are tentative, unsure if she wants to discuss the details.
She does. “I hate saying yes to that question. Dex and I, we were adventurers. Adrenaline junkies. You know the type? That was us. We were always hiking, camping, rock climbing, water skiing, boating, diving off cliffs, scuba diving, bungee jumping. You name it, we did it. I loved it. He’s so fun.” Joss looks down at her hands. “After all that, it was an unfortunate car accident that put me in this chair. Hard to believe, isn’t it? That’s irony for ya. We thought we were invincible. Turns out, we’re not.”
“I don’t understand. Why did Dex leave you?”
“It’s complicated. Everyone believes he left because I’m in a wheelchair. It makes Dex sound so shallow.” Joss scoffs. “He’s not. He’s a man who feels things deeply.”
“I like that quality.”
“I do too. He has a form of survivor’s guilt. He couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, couldn’t function. He had to get away, find a way to forgive himself.”
“Forgive himself for what?” I ask.
“He was driving the car,” Joss says, her voice monotone.
Oh. That changes everything. I understand now.
Joss exhales slowly. “He only looked away from the road for a moment. Just to smile at me. Just to reach out and hold my hand. He didn’t see the impatient driver ahead who decided to pass the slow-driving vehicle in front of him on the two-lane highway, even though there wasn’t enough time for him to pass. It was too late. Dex didn’t have time to swerve to avoid a collision. We hit head on, and our lives changed forever. I mean, my life changed drastically. Dex walked away with a severe concussion, lots of bumps and bruises, a broken arm, and enough guilt to make a man feel dead on the inside.”
I ache for both of them. Such a tragedy. Yet Joss is filled with inner peace. I’m mystified. Here I am, unable to stop raging at my fate. I’m not sure I have it in me to be a Joss.
“How are you such a happy person? I mean, I got left at the altar and feel like my life is over. You’re stuck in a wheelchair and lost the love of your life. My loss doesn’t compare to yours, yet you’re cheerful and sweet. Aren’t you angry at your fate?” I stop abruptly, mortified by my bluntness. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m out of line. Just ignore me. I’m not at my best right now. I usually have more tact.”
I try to remove my hand from hers, but she holds it tight.
“Marin, look at me, please.”
I turn my head until our eyes meet. It’s the moment when I see the real Joss, the one hiding behind the brilliant façade. Her eyes are determined, filled with strength. There’s also a challenge in her eyes. It says, “Don’t you dare feel sorry for me. I’m fine.” I think she uses her smile to say those words to everyone she meets.
