Part 18

Third Person's POV

Once Carter and Nathan had been dropped off and the boys put Justen in the passenger seat, Josh drove to his and Justen's special spot.

"Not taking me home?" Justen asked, knowing exactly where they were.

"Not in the condition you're in now," Josh said.

"Aww, you care," Justen said, jokingly.

"Of course I do," Josh said. "After you scared me twice, it's the least I could do."

Justen chuckled and winced.

"Oh, I forgot, no laughing," Josh smirked.

"Oh shut up," Justen said, a smile spreading across his lips.

"Okay," Josh said.

"I didn't mean it like that," Justen said.

Josh laughed, "Okay."

Suddenly, Justen's phone started ringing.

"Who's calling you?" Josh asked.

"Probably my dad," Justen said before answering the phone. "Hello?"

Justen rolled his eyes as his dad spoke.

"I'm hanging out with a friend," Justen said.

Justen's dad spoke some more and Justen listened.

"Look, I'll be back tomorrow, okay?" Justen said.

After his dad said a simple "okay", Justen hung up the phone.

"He's worried about you, you know," Josh said as Justen put his phone away.

"Nah, he just wonders when his maid is going to get home so they can clean the house," Justen said.

Josh rolled his eyes. "It's not just that you know," he said. "You should talk to him."

"Yeah, but every time I want to talk to him he either says I'm wrong, or he blames me for my mom's death and beats me," Justen said.

"What happened to your mom?" Josh asked.

Justen went silent.

"I'm sorry, you don't have to answer," Josh said, feeling like he majorly messed up.

"No, it's fine," Justen said. "I was going to have to tell someone sooner or later."

Josh looked to Justen and saw the tears in his eyes.

"To be completely honest with you, I'm glad I'm telling you and not someone else," Justen said.

"Yeah," Josh said. "So, your mom?"

"I used to live in New York when I was only a few months old. At that time, my dad was drug-free and had his own little deli shop. And my mom, my mom worked in the World Trade Center.

One day, my dad stayed home from work because he was sick. My mom, on the other hand, took my sister to school before taking me to the daycare one the first floor of the tower where she worked. On that fateful day though was the day the Twin Towers were struck. My mom didn't make it out but I did.

My dad still blames me for that day even though I had no control over what went on. He said that I should have died instead of my mom. And from that day on he started doing his drugs. My sister couldn't handle it so as soon as she got the chance, she left," Justen explained.

Without thinking, Josh grabbed Justen and gave him a hug.

"I am so sorry," Josh said.

"There's nothing to be done about it, it's in the past," Justen said. "What matters now is the present."

At that moment, Justen and Josh made eye contact. Justen's heart started to pound and Josh leaned in towards him. The two then met in a short kiss. Once they were apart, they looked at each other, blushed, and kissed again. When they pulled apart again, both boys' faces were bright red.

"I liked that," Justen said.

"I did too," Josh said before he grabbed Justen and held him close to his chest.

Justen gladly cuddled into Josh's chest with a smile across his face. He felt that he was finally happy.