One More Minute

I stared at him in disbelief, “But you just said-”

Josh sighed, “Anna this has nothing to do with Jordan, well not the way you think. It doesn’t involve removing him from your life.”

“Then what the hell are you talking about? Why would you not be in my life?”

“I told you, I’m not comfortable with you and him being so touchy feely. I won’t share you with him like that. I already unknowingly shared one woman and I didn’t come out a winner in the end.”

Without really stopping to think about what I was saying, I said the first thing that jumped into my mind. “But I’m not her! I’m not cheating on you and I don’t plan on doing so either. I don’t see why I have to stop being a friend to Jordan just because your ex was a tramp. I don’t think it’s fair that you are comparing me to her.”

Josh sat there for a moment, staring off into space. “You aren’t even going to attempt to try and find a solution to the problem, are you?” He glanced over his shoulder at me. “I know you aren’t her, I never said you were. I also never asked you to stop being Jordan’s friend; I don’t care if you are his friend. I just want,” he paused. “I want you to be a friend to him like you are to Amy.”

“Amy?” I shook my head, “Josh, Amy and I aren’t really friends. She only tolerates me because of Nick.”

Josh groaned, “Then like you are with Nick. Damn it Anna you know what I’m trying to say and you are purposely picking it apart and refusing to get it.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Fine!” Josh jumped off the couch and disappeared down the hall towards the front door. When he returned he stopped right in front of me and held out his hand. “I’m tired of this. It’s the same thing over and over again. You know damn well what I want and you don’t seem to care.” I looked up at him and went to say something but he shook his head. “I’m going to bed. If you want to join me, you can but I will expect you to just be friends with Jordan. If you can’t be just his friend, then walk out that door and don’t come back.” He showed me a key. “Lock the door behind you and slip this back under the door.”

He went to hand the key to me but I refused to take it, finally he grabbed my hand and shoved the key into it. “Good Night Beautiful.” Josh leaned down and kissed my forehead before he disappeared down the hall into his room.

I sat in the living room staring at the key in my hand as I listened to him getting ready for bed. It wasn’t until I heard him get into bed and saw the light in his room go out, that I realized that he was serious. I jumped off the couch and stared down the hall, it’s not really that hard a decision to make, I said to myself. Do you want to be with him or do you want to be without him? With one more glance down the hall, I knew I needed to do something to get my own answers.

Without hesitation, I headed down the hall in the opposite direction of his room. When I got to the front door I paused, glanced over my shoulder and slipped my hand over the doorknob. My heart was beating a million miles a minutes as I opened the door and let the light of the hallway spill into his apartment. Pausing for a moment, I looked back into his apartment and then I closed the door. Although my hand was shaking so badly, I managed to lift it up to complete what he told me to do.

Once the door was locked, I stepped back from it and brushed the tears that were spilling down my cheeks away.

“No!” Josh’s voice came from the distance. I heard the sound of his feet on the carpet as he ran towards the door.

I didn’t say a word as I stood in the darken entrance to the kitchen and listened to him fumble with the dead bolt as he tried to unlock it.

“Come on you stupid piece of crap!” When the lock finally co-operated with him, I could hear him turn the handle and soon some light poured into the apartment.

“What the f***!” He cursed when the door stopped suddenly as the chain lock pulled tight. I smiled as he closed the door, struggled with the chain for a moment before he realized that there was no way I could’ve put the chain across from the other side. “Anna?” He said as the hallway lit up.

I was leaning against the wall but when the light came on I took a step towards him. I would’ve gone all the way to him but the look in his eyes stopped me in my tracks. With a hint of hurt in his voice, he asked. “Why would you do that?”

I found I couldn’t look at him, “I needed some answers of my own.”

He moved closer, his hand lifted from his side and his fingers cupped around my chin, turning my face upwards. “What answers did you need where asking me a question wouldn’t work?”

I sighed and tried to look away from him but he held my chin tight, I closed my eyes. “I wanted to know if you really wanted me to go.”

“Anna,” Josh sighed my name then wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight. “Honey I don’t want you to go ever. Having you go ranks right up there on the top of my list of undesirable events; having to watch Jess leave with Carol tomorrow being the only thing that ranks higher.”

I opened my eyes. “I don’t want to leave, and I don’t want my friendship with Jordan to be the reason you leave either.” Lifting my hands to his shoulders, I held onto him. “I’ll work on the issue we talked about, just promise me you’ll be patient and trust me when I say that nothing besides friendship will ever happen between Jordan and me.”

“I’ll be patient as long as you work on it.” He smiled, “I’m glad you didn’t leave.”

“Me too,” I couldn’t help the feeling of happiness that flooded my body, I suddenly felt like together we could handle anything.

“So we should probably get some sleep.” He said as he started to turn from me to lead the way down the hall.

I grasped his hand and held my ground, tugging on his arm. When he turned back to me, I gave him a smiled, “Come here.”

He raised his brow but came closer to me and wrapped his arms around me as I slipped mine around his neck. I gave him a quick peck on the cheek and he frowned. “That’s all?”

Laughing, I asked him what he was hoping for. He glanced upwards and shook his head, “Do I really need to explain it to her?” He asked whoever was up there.

I glanced up and then looked at him, “I think they said ‘yes’.”

He laughed, “Oh really?” He asked as he scooped me up in his arms. “Well let’s go into my room and I’ll explain in great detail what I was hoping for.”