NEW LIFE
288 Vouchers
NEW LIFE
JOSH – PRESENT DAY
The beer was hitting harder than expected, but I didn’t mind. For once, I felt… something. The edges of guilt and grief dulled, like the alcohol was lubricating the parts of me that had been stuck for so long.
I found myself outside the bar, phone in hand, staring at Luke’s name on the screen. My thumb hovered over the call button. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say or if he’d even answer, but before I could overthink it, I hit call.
It rang twice before he picked up.
“Josh?” His voice was cautious, like he wasn’t sure why I’d be calling after all this time.
“Yeah, it’s me,” I said, leaning against the side of the building. The cool night air helped clear my head, but my heart was pounding. “I, uh… I needed to talk.”
There was a pause on the other end. I could hear faint sounds of his house–dishes clinking, the muffled sound of Jess talking in the background.
“Alright,” Luke said finally. “Talk.”
I let out a shaky breath, staring up at the Texas sky. It was filled with stars, the kind you only saw when you were far from the
city.
10:53
NEW LIFE
288 Nouchers
“I feel guilty,” I started, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. “For wanting to move on. For not being stuck like I probably should be. For not staying there with her.” My voice broke, but I pushed through. “But if I stayed, Luke, I never would‘ ve surfaced. I would’ve drowned in it, and Asha… she would’ve been dragged down with me. I fucking ran away, okay? I know that. I know I ran, but I did it for her–for Asha. To give her a chance at something better than a dad who’s a wreck because his wife… because Laura isn’t really there anymore, but sort of still is, you know?”
I stopped, my chest tight, my heart racing. The words hung heavy in the air, and I braced myself for Luke’s judgment, for him to tell me what a coward I was.
But to my surprise, he said, “I get it, man.”
I froze, the phone pressed against my ear. “What?”
“I get it,” Luke repeated. His voice was softer now, understanding. “We all do. Jess and I… we’ve talked about it a lot. We know why you left, and we don’t blame you. You had to do what was best for Asha and for yourself. And when you’re ready to come back and face the hard decisions about Laura… we’ll be here for you.” He paused, and I could hear him take a deep breath. “Josh, you deserve happiness, man. You deserve to feel alive again.”
I swallowed hard, my throat burning. I lifted my beer to my lips, taking a long sip to avoid saying anything stupid. The tears were there, welling up in my eyes, but I blinked them away.
“Thanks, man,” I said finally, my voice low.
“Anytime,” Luke said. “You know where to find us.”
10:53
NEW LIFE
288 Vouchers
I ended the call and stared up at the sky again. The stars
seemed brighter tonight, like they were trying to remind me of something I’d forgotten.
“I have to believe you’d want me to be happy, babe,” I
murmured, my voice barely audible. “And maybe… maybe this is the first day of working toward that.” ·
I drained the rest of my beer, holding up the empty bottle as if to toast the sky.
“Josh! Come on, man!” Mateo’s voice called from the bar, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I smiled, the tightness in my chest easing just a little. “Coming!” I shouted back.
I turned and headed toward the bar, pushing open the door with more force than I meant to. As I stepped inside, I collided with someone–a small figure barreling out as I was walking in.
She yelped, stumbling back, but I caught her easily, my hands wrapping around her arms before she could hit the ground.
“Whoa, sorry about that,” I said, steadying her.
Her wide hazel eyes blinked up at me, framed by dark curls that spilled over her shoulders. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, her cheeks flushed from embarrassment.
“Mr. Saunders?” she said, her voice a mix of surprise and disbelief.
froze, recognition dawning as I took her in. The dark hair, the petite frame, the soft floral scent I’d noticed at daycare drop-
10:53
NEW LIFE
288 Vouchers
offs.
“Miss Worth,” I said, my voice low, almost a growl.
Her cheeks turned an even deeper shade of pink as she adjusted her bag and stepped out of my hold. “I… uh… didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Yeah, same,” I muttered, feeling uncharacteristically awkward.
She glanced toward the bar, where my teammates were already making a scene, and then back at me. “Well, I should-”
“Wait,” I said…
