Written in the Stars

Untitled Episode

Josh Point of view

He opened the door and was met with a halo of wavy red hair, big blue eyes framed by adorable freckles, and a sweet smile.

"You see? I made it. A true friend keeps her word," Maribel said with a wink.

Josh rolled his eyes playfully. "Yeah, like, almost an hour later," he teased, stepping back to let her in. He made his way to the kitchen to grab them both a cold beer, opening the fridge and pulling out two bottles.

"I tried to get away, but you know how my big sister can be," Maribel said, leaning against the kitchen island.

Josh closed the fridge door and popped the caps off both beers before approaching Maribel and handing her one. "Was it Kelly's birthday?" he asked. He vaguely remembered Maribel's sisters, especially Kelly, who was a complete drama queen.

Maribel took the cold beer and sighed. "Yep, that one. The one who wants everything her way. If I dare to tell her I have to be somewhere else, she makes it all about herself again."

Josh let out a smirk and shook his head, leaning back against the counter to take a sip of his beer. Thank goodness he didn’t have any siblings; being an only child had its perks.

"So, I hope whatever you called me over for is pretty good," Maribel said, taking a sip of her own drink.

Josh looked at Maribel, then let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair. This was going to be incredibly hard to say, but Maribel was the only one he could talk to about it. She was the only one who knew the truth about him and Briar.

"Well," he began, taking a deep breath. He just had to say it; the secret was killing him. "I kind of kissed Joelien."

The words slipped out before he could stop them. Maribel’s face went pale, the blood draining from her cheeks as she stared at him. "You did what?" she breathed.

Looking at her, Josh immediately regretted opening his mouth. If she was reacting like this now, how was she going to handle the rest of it?

"I kissed her," he repeated quietly. "It just happened. We were in the kitchen and..."

"No... NO... NO!" Maribel cried, throwing one hand in the air as she stormed out of the kitchen and into the living room. "I cannot believe you, Josh!"

Josh let out another heavy sigh, nervously running his hand over his hair again. He took a long swig of his beer and slowly followed her into the living room.

"Maribel, we didn't plan it. It just happened," Josh insisted.

Maribel pursed her lips, puffing out her cheeks as she whirled around to face him. Her face was now almost as red as her hair. Josh swallowed hard at the sight of her.

"Wait," Maribel said, pointing a finger at him. "A kiss? Why do I get the feeling there is more to this story?"

Her eyes locked onto his as she stepped closer. "Please don’t tell me the two of you had s*x," she whispered.

That was the exact detail he had hoped to leave out, knowing she would freak. He broke eye contact, turning slightly to take another big gulp of his beer. But his silence gave him away.

Maribel knew instantly. She lashed out, punching him right in the shoulder. "Josh! How could you?" she yelled, striking him again.

Her knuckles were hard, and Josh winced at the sudden sting. "Ouch! Maribel, stop," he said, rubbing his shoulder.

"You slept with her!" Maribel cried, her big blue eyes flashing with anger. "You know what’s going to happen now? All those old feelings are going to drag right back up to the surface, and things are going to get so awkward between you two."

Exhausted, Maribel walked over to the sofa and collapsed into the cushions. Josh took a deep breath, walked over, and sat down right next to her.

"Maribel," he said softly, turning to look at her. "You, of all people, know I never got over her. I still love her."

Maribel was the keeper of all his secrets, the only one who truly understood his feelings for Joelien.

"That is exactly the point, Josh," Maribel said, sinking deeper into the couch. "You have a daughter now. And then there's Briar, if you haven’t forgotten."

Josh let out a heavy sigh, dropping his head to look at the floor. He should have known she would bring Briar up—she always did. "I knew you were going to bring her up," he muttered, taking another sip of beer.

"Yeah, well, you need to remember that Briar is married to Driven—the man Joelien used to be married to. And Michaela is Driven’s child... except no one knows that you are the real father."

Her words cut straight through his chest.

Josh abruptly stood up, walking over to the window to stare out into the yard. He stood there, completely still, and let out a long, heavy breath. That was the brutal reality of his life.

He took a sip of his cold beer, staring out the window into his backyard. "Even if Michaela is my daughter... I didn't even know until a few months ago. And Briar..." He let out a heavy sigh. "I don't know. We slept together a few times, but there's no connection between us."

Josh turned around to look at Maribel, who was watching him from the sofa with deeply worried eyes.

"The only reason I even see Briar is because of Michaela," he continued, his voice dropping. "But my own daughter doesn't even know me. She looks at me like I'm a stranger, so either way..."

His words trailed off as the bleak reality of his life settled over him. He had a daughter with a woman he’d only had an on-and-off relationship with, and now he was tied to her forever just to get a glimpse of his own child.

Maribel stood up from the sofa and approached him. "Josh, you and Joelien are my best friends. I just don’t want to see the two of you get hurt again. Not like back then, when you just took off, went overseas, and left her here heartbroken."

His eyes met Maribel’s. She had a point. What he had done back then was cruel, leaving things up in the air the way he did.

"I know what I did was wrong," Josh admitted quietly. "I was an asshole, and I regret leaving her like that every single day. But I won't do it again. I love her, Maribel. I will always love her, no matter what."

Maribel reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. The warmth of her touch grounded him. He looked at her, his chest aching with the weight of his own feelings.

"I never stopped loving her," Josh confessed. "She was always the woman I wanted to marry one day. But then I went and ruined it all. I ran away, and by the time I came back, she’d already met Driven. My chance of winning her heart back was gone."

The tension in Maribel’s blue eyes softened, replaced by tenderness. "I am so sorry, Josh," she said softly. "But I don't want my best friend getting hurt again. This love between the two of you... it's scary. You were each other's firsts, and now you're re-opening a burning flame."

Josh dropped his head slightly, letting out a heavy breath. "I'll try to be careful, but I still love her," he said, looking back up at Maribel. "And I know she still loves me. She kissed me back, Maribel. I felt it."

He stepped away, walking back over to the sofa to sink into the cushions, taking a long, deep drink of his beer. He knew deep in his heart that the spark was still there. He had felt it in the way she kissed him, and in the way she told him she would always care for him.

Maribel walked back over and joined him on the couch. "I just hope you're right," she said, looking at him intently. He looked back at her, waiting for the catch.

"Just don’t hurt her, Josh," Maribel warned, giving his shoulder another, lighter punch. "She has already been through hell and back. If you hurt her all over again... this time, I will personally kill you, buddy.

Josh huffed out a quiet laugh despite the heaviness in his chest, rubbing the spot on his shoulder where she had punched him. “Noted,” he muttered, shaking his head slightly.

Maribel narrowed her eyes at him. “I mean it.”

“I know you do.” Said Josh.

For a moment, silence settled between them. The only sound in the room was the faint hum of the refrigerator and the rain tapping softly against the windows outside. Josh leaned back deeper into the couch, staring down at the beer bottle in his hands while his thoughts spiraled back to Joelien.