45

Evening started to set in, by the time she was rounding up the story of her relationship with her ex boyfriend, as Josh had been keen on hearing the details, although she'd omitted her personal involvement with Demir. Auntie Freya had called too, but had sounded relieved, when she'd told her she was out with Josh.

"So, I dated that jerk, for a long time and broke up with him early this year."

She noticed a grin tugged at the corners of Josh's lips as he turned to flip the meat over on the grill pan and she tilted her head with a frown.

"Why are you laughing?...Are you perhaps... laughing at me?"

"No,it's not like that...You had a boyfriend, then too."

"I has a boyfriend? That was my first relationship, Josh." She replied and he turned back to her.

"It wasn't. You said you were dating someone else back in high school, so I gave up, then."

Her frown deepened. "Gave up?"

"You were my first love." He said and the expression on her face faded into a surprised one, although it was feigned. Josh has been obvious about his feelings for her in high school, and she'd known about it, although he hadn't confessed to her.

"What?"

"I had a crush on you, but you were leaving for L.A, so I was about to tell you, but you said you had a boyfriend, so I gave up." He explained, and she combed her hand, through her hair.

"I told you...I had a boyfriend?" She asked, having no memory of the time she'd said that.

"You didn't tell me, though. You told someone else." He replied, as if that was to help her remember, but she didn't.

"Honestly, I don't remember saying that...I guess I didn't want to get teased by friends do mine, for not having a boyfriend, so that's why." She said and her frown returned, when she recollected something. "Wait... Don't Tell me that was the reason why you didn't come to see me off, when I was leaving for L.A?"

"Honestly, yeah." He replied and she smacked his shoulder.

"How could you do that to me? I was so upset about that." She whined and he chuckled.

"Would you have accepted me if I confessed my feelings to you?"

She. blinked, as the directness and f his question, before reaching out to take a can of beer.

"I don't know...but I guess I would have stayed in touch with you, since we were best friends..."

He sighed, and she detected regret in it. "Then I guess, things would have been different right now..."