146 - The chapter where Josh shows up to help

Christian

I heard Rose's labored breathing as soon as I arrived upstairs, and going to her room, I found her on my bed, lying in a fetal position, her eyes closed.

" I can't breathe, I'm going to…”

" Rose, it's serious, it's an anxiety attack " Cam tried to reassure her.

" My chest hurts! " she sobbed.

Without saying a word, I took off my sneakers, climbing on the bed, wrapping her in a hug, clinging her body to mine. Camille understood the message, leaving the room, leaving us alone.

" Chris…” she let out another sob amidst a moan of pain.

"I'm here, Rose, it's going to be okay," I reassured her, "The cutie is right, it's a panic attack.”

" No, I…”

" Come on, breathe with me," I whispered, starting to breathe deeply and calmly, so that she could follow my breathing.

Her gasping breaths began to mix with her insistent crying and her heartfelt sobs, causing despair to grow inside me for not knowing how to help her. All I wanted at that moment was to hug her tightly and steal all her pain away.

And that's what I did, for the next few minutes I stood there, hugging her, feeling helpless for not being able to do more. That's when a commotion started downstairs and at that moment I hoped it was Joshua with someone who could make my girlfriend feel better.

" She's in Davis' room, do you remember which one it is? " Theo's voice reached me " just you go up with them, she needs it…”

I let go of her, sitting down in time to see her parents coming up the stairs with a woman in her thirties and Joshua. Great timing!

Although her sobs had subsided and her breathing had improved somewhat, Rose was still curled up, hugging herself in a heartfelt cry, seemingly oblivious to everything going on around her.

"Rose, honey..." Addison practically ran towards us as she reached the top of the stairs, closely followed by Jack, completely ignoring my presence.

She sat down on the bed, pulling the girl onto her lap, who quickly wrapped her arms around her mother's waist, hiding her face in her coat.

" Mom... It wasn't me! " she sobbed.

Joshua approached with the Woman, who seemed unsure how to act at that moment.

" I know it wasn't…”

"Rose, they've called a doctor for you, what's going on? " Jack sat on a vacant space on the bed.

" My chest…”

It was at that moment that Josh's friend decided to take action, walking into the room, carrying a side bag.

" Rose? I'm Carly, Josh's friend. Can I examine you?”

" Josh? " Rose blinked in confusion, and then her gaze focused on the man next to me.

" Hey, sweetie... surprised to see me? " he approached the bed, as I received a questioning look from Jack.

I took a deep breath, deciding to give Rose a break from being examined, or at least that was the excuse I used to not see my girlfriend interacting with him. I walked down the stairs to the empty living room and threw myself on the couch, covering my face with both hands.

What a fucking day!

I sat in the living room for the next few minutes with a lost look on my face, thinking about everything that had gone wrong since morning. How could they do this to her? They must have known how much it would mark her, as much as they hated her, there had to be a limit.

But when I find out every single person who took part in this....

" Are you all right? " A voice caught my attention.

I turned my face, finding Joshua standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. His face had a serious expression, and at that moment, as grateful as I was for his help with Rose, I didn't know if I wanted to talk to him.

" 'Great,” I muttered, looking away again.

The man somehow took that as encouragement and walked into the living room and sat down on the other couch, watching me.

" Carly is examining her, she just graduated and is doing her residency at the hospital in Waterfall " he commented.

" Thanks for bringing her, I didn't know what to do " okay, I couldn't stand that guy, but that didn't mean I wouldn't thank him for his help.

He had no obligation to us.

" I gave her some privacy to be examined and I couldn't quite understand what happened. She said something about a video... What video?  " he stared at me

I let out a weary sigh, knowing that there was no way I was going to get away with telling him what had happened, not when I had dragged him into that mess.

" A video... intimate. Someone broke in here, and recorded a video in her room, and... spread it around campus saying it was Rose... even sent it to her parents," I told him.

" A video…”

" A very explicit one. They were careful not to show the girl's face, but it wasn't her," I continued, "I'm sorry to involve you in this, but she fainted when she found out they sent it to her parents, and then she said she couldn't breathe, and... I didn't know what to do…”

I surprised myself by opening up so much, especially to him.

Joshua was silent for a few seconds, digesting what I had just revealed to him, before letting out a sigh, looking back into my face.

" Christian, I know that after what happened the last time we saw each other I'm the last person you want to see, and the fact that you called me to help her just shows me that I was right in everything I said to her the last time I saw her " he started " What happened with you today was a big shit, because I imagine she's not the only one being affected.”

I didn't respond. Of course I didn't want contact with the guy who spent the weekend fucking my girlfriend... But he was right, Rose was the most affected in that story, but she wasn't the only one.

" Do you know who did this?”

" No, but when I find out...  “

"That's what you're going to help me do, Boy," Jack's voice interrupted us.

We both turned to the door, finding the man standing there with his forehead creased and arms crossed, watching us with a not-so-good expression.

And the day that sucks is only going to get worse.