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JOEL MILLER WAS A STUBBORN MAN. It had been that way since long before the outbreak. But now? Constantly having to watch your back, occasionally wondering if you'd be able to eat your next meal at a decent time if ration cards were slim? His stubbornness seemed to increase, if that were even possible.
He thinks about his regrets on the night of the outbreak more often than he'd like. His biggest one, is not being able to protect Sarah. He began to put up walls the moment he lost her, even if he didn't realize it then.
Even when Tess joined him and Tommy, he didn't fully let her in until years had passed. Then when Tommy left to join the Fireflies, his walls went up even higher.
It wasn't until Josie came along and he grew to trust her, that Joel even considered allowing himself to be close to someone in that way.
He considers Tess the closest thing he had to family since Tommy left.
Sure things with Tess were romantic, or at least sexual, every once in a while, but he never felt anything more for her. The guilt was slowly eating away at him, because he knows it's not the same for Tess.
With Josie, he doesn't know what to think. Sure, at first his only thoughts were that Tess should tell her to find other people to work with. But now it was completely different. Around the Boston QZ it was no secret that he'd become increasingly protective of her.
But lately, new feelings had begun to emerge. Whenever she smiled at him or laughed at something he said, he felt good. And whenever she wanted to help him or take care of him because he'd gotten hurt, a small part of him didn't want those times to end. Not that he'd ever say any of these things out loud, of course.
After what felt like days but was really hours, they finally reached the hotel. Now it was just a matter of getting to the top to scope out the potential route.
"Have you guys ever stayed in a place like this?"
Josie was about to chime in that she had a few times on family vacations, but when Tess said it was a little out of her and Joel's league, she kept quiet.
"How do you even know what this place is?"
"Have you ever heard of books?"
Walking through the gross water that went up too high for her liking, Josie was trying her best to not think about the things that might be swimming around.
When her foot landed on something slippery and she nearly fell completely into the water, a hand caught her arm and managed to keep her from falling. Looking up, Josie sighed in relief. She hadn't even realized Joel was that close behind her.
