Finding Mrs.Joe Hill

Jealous much?

Continued

"I'm sorry." Taylor said standing at the doorway of Joes apartment in the middle of the night. She seemed distraught, tired, and upset. She was wearing what seemed like pajamas.

"What's going on?" He asked and set his gun down on the counter.

"Tell me Angelina is here? I need her." She begged.

"She's not...what's wrong? Did Brian do something?!" He wondered ready to lay that guy out again.

"No.." she shook her head. Joe waited for her to continue to explain what was wrong watching her sigh with sadness.

"It's the 3 year anniversary in the morning." She said with a broken voice.

"Your grandmother." Joe knew right away that's what she was talking about. She opened up soon after they met about her trauma of being alone some nights due to tragedy happening upon waking up. He'd never forget that.

"Yeah." She lost it and pushed her way in against his chest in a hug, she cried on him while he didn't say anything back, he just kept his arms wrapped around her.

"I thought I'd be fine, I didn't think I needed to stay with anyone this time. But I can't sleep, every-time I close my eyes I get hit with a wave of fear and anxiety." She cried.

"You can stay here." He told her without hesitation.

"I can't..." she pulled away.

"You need to sleep." He argued.

"I need one of my friends."

"I am your friend." Joe told her.

"I need a friend who's not going to-." She started.

"You think I'd pull moves on you when you're like this?" He questioned.

"No." She sighed with a wipe of her tears.

"C'mon, you need to get some sleep" he took her hand and brought her to his bed. She took her sweatshirt off and threw it over onto the couch. Leaving her in a thin white tank top. Joe pulled the covers down and she got in willingly.

"I can't believe this is happening." She said as Joe rounded to his side of the bed.

"Just try to relax and close your eyes, I'm here if you need anything." Joe said expecting a response but there wasn't one. He turned to see her, she was staring up at the ceiling with tears running down her face onto the pillow.

"It's okay." He moved closer to her and tried to hug her as best he could. The pain in her face and whole body were hard to ignore. He'd never seen her this upset and didn't need to ever again. This hurt.

"Is this what one of your friends does to help?"

"Um yeah, we basically snuggle all night like lesbian lovers" she said with a small laugh.

"Doesn't bother me, I'll hold you all night if I have to." He told her being 100% serious, this felt so good. Even though she was going through a rough patch, the fact that she left Brian in hopes to get comfort from a real friend, and then settling for Joe was a win in his book. She closed her eyes finally and tried to sleep. Joe didn't move, he didn't care he couldn't feel his arm hardly, if it meant she'd sleep he didn't care.

Now all he could think about was the conversation with Frank from the other day. Was she really the one? Was this it? He's never felt like this with anyone before. Now he was the one that couldn't sleep because he was too busy thinking.
———

It was morning time, Joe woke slowly, trying not to move, he was still holding Taylor. She was passed out in his numb arms, they hurt. He didn't care, he was just glad she slept.

When she woke she jumped up out of bed.

"Huh! What time is it!?" She said.

"Relax, it's only 8."

"Shit. I'm sorry, I should've been up and out of here. Shit." She was in a hurry to leave, Joe got up to talk to her.

"What's the hurry?"

"I have to work, I didn't take the day like I usually do, figured keeping busy is better. She said flustered.

"Oh okay, sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, the nights the hardest. Thanks." She was in a hurry getting her things. Joe put his shirt on and then went to make coffee, he didn't work today because of the rip he got from fighting Brian.

"You need a ride?" He offered.

"Joe...!" Taylor raised her voice and rounded the corner into the kitchen where he was.

"What?" He turned to see her holding up a condom wrapper.

"Where'd you find that?" He asked nervously.

"Um on the floor by the couch. I thought you said you weren't screwing Ang...!" She called him out.

"I wasn't! Until last night..."

"You mean to tell me you fucked one of my best friends in the same bed I had a breakdown in and then slept with you in!"

"No! Of course not! We did it on the couch!" Joe corrected. Taylor did not think that was funny.

"Still disgusting!"

"Now you know how I felt about you with Brian!"

"That's different!" She argued.

"No it's not! Kinda like you told me at the bar that night you can do whatever the hell you want...well I guess this is me telling you I can fuck whoever I want." He told her.

"Unbelievable. So much for your SUPPORT for today!" She started to leave.

"Hey! I did as much as I could to help you! I comforted you all night, I wiped away your tears, I was exactly what you needed! If you would've asked about me being with Angelina earlier and what took place I would've told you! I'm not a liar, I'll never lie to you!" He poured out.

"Okay...Your right. I'm sorry. I'm just, I don't know, it's a hard day for me. Let's blame all this on that. I gotta go." Her voice was calm.

"Okay. I'm always here." Joe reminded her matching her tone.

"I know."

"See ya." He closed the door behind her.