Tempted (#Wattys2015)

Tempted:47:

*Bella*

Friday
7:49 PM

I got the job at Forever 21. I started Monday, and they'd rotate me out with everyone else. I asked for off on Fridays and Saturdays...because I wanted that time with Justin.

I also had a gig right towards Christmas, my last week before I went home I think.

It was a pretty big place to get a gig. I had dropped off recordings from the last year with the manager, and they called me today too.

Now I just finished off a bowl of Ramen, I had a book and a cup of tea off to the side while I was curled in a blanket.

Justin told me him and Jaxon were going out tonight...I don't know what for because he wouldn't tell me, and I didn't really push it.

I'd wait for him to call me, if he did. I wanted to talk to him, but I understood.

Our conversations had been oddly short this week...and I don't know if that was just me, or if maybe he was busy, if he was tired, I don't know.

I hadn't said anything because I knew what he would say.

"Yeah, everything's fine."

Which was the answer for a lot of things these days...and I knew if I kept asking he'd get mad, and I didn't want that.

It's been since Hunter left- since his mom got sick- that he's been like that.

Hunter left about two weeks ago now. When he had left, that's the last I had heard about him from Justin. He wasn't talking about it, which wasn't going to help...and I knew he missed him...and he was scared...

I curled myself farther into the couch, engrossing myself back in the book.

Augustus and Hazel were so cute, I adored their relationship. It seemed like they had fallen in love so fast - it was almost unrealistic, but the more I thought about it, I fell in love with Justin pretty quickly, and in ways I envied Hazel, I mean sure she wasn't normal, but was I really? I had spent weeks this summer in fear of my life, I spent weeks restless and unable to sleep unless Justin was at my side.

Maybe Hazel and I really were alike in ways.

I couldn't put the book down. It was so good. John Green did things to your heart. Terrible things.

And a few pages later I was balling, and doing everything to keep from throwing the book across the room.

Thank god Justin wasn't here. He'd look at me like I was a maniac or something.

I couldn't imagine losing Justin.

And honestly, I felt like I was.

As I was halfway through a page, my phone buzzed on the table, and I saw a picture of Justin and I light up my screen.

I quickly wiped my eyes with the back of my hand, marking the page and reached for my phone, sliding it open to answer.

"Hey." I said, looking at the collection of pictures on the wall.

"Hi, guess what?"

"What?" I asked back, curling back up in my covers.

"Jaxon and I got new tattoos."

"Oh? What of?" But my voice cracked - maybe he wouldn't notice.

"Bella? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I was just reading a book. What did you get tattoos of?"