If Only for the Summer
Twelve
Henley called over her morning bowl of cereal after she had taken her pills and switched out her tank. Josh answered through a yawn.
“What’s up?”
“Well, I just woke up, so not much.” Henley wanted to laugh at the mundane conversation that was forming. She didn’t even think it was possible to have such a casual discussion with the points of life that she and Josh were at.
She could hear his smile as he spoke, “Well, were you planning on doing anything?”
Henley shrugged. “I mean, not right now. I’m exhausted still.”
“You’re okay though, right?” She heard him shuffle around like he was sitting up, and his mood shifted to concern. “Like, you’re not tired because you did too much yesterday or anything?”
“No, I think I’m fine. I have an appointment tomorrow at the doctor’s, anyway, so I can bring it up if I’m still tired by then. Don’t worry.”
“Do you want me to come over?”
“Josh, I’m okay. You were up all night, just go to sleep, I’m fine.”
“Alright, I’ll be up in a few hours. Call Annie or me if you need us.”
“Go to sleep, Josh,” she called as she pulled the phone away from her ear and hung up before he could respond.
-
As the sun set for the night, Josh got back to Henley’s house after his sleep, an excited smile plastered to his face. “What?” Henley asked as she opened the door and saw his expression.
He swooped in and flung his arms around her shoulders, “I got my office. They called me after I woke up and let me know. I start at the beginning of the week. Pat does, too.”
Henley smiled, clapping excitedly as he leaned down to kiss her. “We should celebrate. I can make dinner.”
Josh watched with a smile from a stool at the island as Henley moved around the kitchen, searing chicken, steaming vegetables and rice. She grabbed a couple plates and utensils, handing them to Josh and pointing at the circular breakfast table in the corner. By the time that Josh had finished setting the table, Henley was pulling the chicken out of the oven and putting the pieces in a dish to serve.
She watched as Josh saw a candle on the window sill and yanked a lighter out of his pocket after setting it in the middle of the table. Once it was lit, he rushed to a chair to pull it out for her. She sat as he grabbed the vegetables and rice from the counter and set them with the chicken. With everything done, Josh sat, and they dug in.
“So what does the promotion mean for your hours?”
“Not really anything for the summer. It’ll pretty much be the same. Whenever I’m needed. Why? Were you worried I would be tied down in a nine to five job?” he asked with a snicker.
Henley narrowed her eyes at him jokingly. “Maybe,” she said bluntly, despite herself.
Josh stared at his plate as he finished his rice, and Henley noticed his face flush.
They bickered lightheartedly for the rest of dinner, and after insistence from Josh, did the dishes together. Once Josh finished washing, and Henley was drying the last dish, he turned to her, though he was avoiding her eyes when she looked at him. He leaned against the sink until she finished. “What?”
He shrugged, “Dinner was good.” Henley smiled but she could tell he decided against saying what he originally wanted to tell her. “I guess I should head out, then,” he continued, pointing in the direction of the door.
Henley shook her head, moving toward him, “You don’t have to if you think I’m trying to kick you out again. My dad has a pretty extensive collection of movies.”
Josh agreed and followed her into the family room attached to the kitchen. Henley moved toward the coffee table to get the remote, then rejoined him at the stack of cases on a shelf by the TV, circling her arm through his. He looked down at her, smiling before he leaned down to kiss her.
Henley pushed herself on her toes to meet him, and they both moved so they faced each other. They stood like that for a minute, before Henley put her hands on the back of his neck and pulled him down closer to her.
She ended up knocking half of the DVDs off the shelf as Josh pressed her against it. He broke away long enough to take a breath and she spoke, “Come on,” and grabbed his hand before pulling him in the direction of her room.
“How long can you go without the oxygen?” he asked when they fell onto her bed, though her hands were already loosening the tube from behind her ears and pulling it off.
“I’ll be fine,” she insisted, pushing herself up to reattach their lips.
-
Josh was the first one to wake up the next morning. Henley followed soon after as he attempted to stretch, but pulled Henley’s tube that was tangled around his arm. He panicked and rushed to unwrap the tube from his arm as Henley only laughed and reached around, easily unraveling it.
“Sorry, sorry,” he breathed, putting his arm back around her shoulders after she pushed him back down and rested her head on his bare chest. He smiled down at her when she looked up, planting a kiss on her forehead. “You still want to see my office?” he asked quietly.
Henley flipped onto her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows so she could look at him, thankful she put a shirt on last night after she put her cannula back in. “Do you actually want to me to go?”
Josh shrugged, tucking his arms behind his head. “It’s Saturday, no one should really be in besides anyone who’s necessary.”
“If you’re okay with it I’m down. Breakfast is necessary first, though,” she said, scooting to the end of the bed and hoping down. Josh watched as she put on a pair of shorts under his shirt, and got up as she grabbed one of each pill on her dresser and walked out.
Henley dropped her handful of pills on the counter and swallowed them two at a time after she grabbed a bottle of water. Josh slid in behind her and opened the fridge, then grabbed everything he would need for breakfast. Before Henley could protest, he pressed a kiss to her lips to silence her, then shooed her off to a stool at the counter.
-
After breakfast, Henley and Josh took turns taking a shower, then both dressed and got into Josh’s truck, going into town.
“Where are we going?”
“Down by the water, technically on Lake Superior.”
Josh pulled up to the marina, taking a spot by a dilapidated building that began near the shore and extended out onto the lake on a pier. There were two men posted outside the front door, and though they looked relatively innocuous without any noticeable weapons, Josh grabbed Henley’s hand and pushed her behind him as they approached. Josh nodded curtly at one of them and he returned it before he kicked one of the weathered barn doors open and watched them enter. Immediately, she was hit with the scent of stagnant marijuana smoke, and she suppressed an irritated cough until Josh got her into his office.
As soon as the plank of wood that had been subbed in for a door was closed, Henley let go, coughing loudly into her sleeve. She pulled out her rescue inhaler and took a puff, trying to calm herself down. Josh simply looked on helplessly, not knowing what to do.
Henley dropped down into a chair in the corner that was in the same condition as the rest of the building around her, and counted, trying to regulate her breathing through her wheezing.
“Do you need me to do anything?” Josh asked hesitantly. Henley shook her head and coughed for a final time before she smiled weakly.
“Actually, do you have any water?” He tipped his head once, then disappeared out the door. A minute later, he came back in, Patrick close on his tail, and handed her a bottle. Henley noticed Patrick’s strained expression as she gulped the water down and Josh put her inhaler back in her bag for her.
“What the fuck, Josh? How many fucking times do you need to be told not to bring her into this shit?” Patrick yelled, slapping Josh across the back of his head as he cornered him on the other side of the room.
“Piss off, Pat, she’s okay,” he countered, rubbing the back of his head.
“She doesn’t look it,” Patrick grunted, looking behind him at Henley. She glowered, and he only laughed. “After the show you just put on, I find it hard to take that seriously.”
Josh shoved him, getting Patrick’s attention back in front of him. Henley could hear people shuffling around outside the room, and they must have heard the struggle that was ensuing on the other side of the door, because all at once four men came barging in, bringing in fresh and stale smoke from the main room of the warehouse. For the second time, a coughing fit cropped up in Henley.
Josh pushed his way out of the crowd of disheveled men and kneeled in front of her as she buried her face in the crook of her elbow, trying to contain the new round of coughs. He grabbed her inhaler back out and gave it to her, pushing her hair behind her ears, mumbling, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t think they would all be here.”
Patrick rejoined him, still visibly angry, and grabbed him by the bicep, yanking him out the door as the rest of the men followed, all staring at Henley. Josh snatched himself out of Pat’s grip and pushed the door halfway open so he could keep an eye on her.
Henley only half paid attention to what was going on around her as she pressed the cannula to her face and hunched over her tank. She turned to her right when she saw Josh kept looking at her. Henley studied him as he turned to Patrick and noticed that his hair was lighter than hers, unlike at the beginning of the summer. Dirty blonde streaks mixed with a light brown were pushed away by his hand as he turned to her with a weak smile. She thought about how weird it was that she noticed that then of all times, but smiled back anyway, scooting back in the chair.
“I’ll be careful,” she heard Josh say before he cut Patrick off and came back in the room, closing the makeshift door and stacking a couple of boxes full of papers against it so it would stay shut. He knelt down in front of her again, and she pushed her tank off to the side so she could properly look at him. “I’m sorry,” he said for the third time as he took one of her hands in both of his.
“I know,” Henley replied simply as he pressed a kiss to her fingers. She took another minute as Josh watched her catch her breath. “So this is your new place, huh?” she asked with as genuine a smile as she could muster. Her fits had tired her out.
Josh looked around casually. It wasn’t much. There was a desk and a TV that against the wall across from it that showed the feeds of four security cameras. A sofa was set in front of it. As Henley pushed herself up by the handle of her tank, she noticed that the area that the desk was in was two steps up from everything else along with an empty bed frame, though boxes of papers and miscellaneous garbage covered the stairs. There were two windows opposite the door that overlooked the lake, and Henley gravitated toward the view. Josh came up behind her.
“What time is your doctor’s appointment tomorrow?”
“Ten so I need to leave by at least seven to get downtown,” she said leaning against his chest.
“Are you still tired?”
Henley put her head on his shoulder to look up at him. “I just spent twenty minutes hacking up a lung, so yeah.”
“You want me to take you home?” Henley shrugged.
“It’s weirdly nice here.” Josh gave her a confused look. “Minus the attacks.”
The conversation lulled as Josh moved away from Henley at the window and began sorting through the piles on the stairs.
“What’s up?”
“Well, I just woke up, so not much.” Henley wanted to laugh at the mundane conversation that was forming. She didn’t even think it was possible to have such a casual discussion with the points of life that she and Josh were at.
She could hear his smile as he spoke, “Well, were you planning on doing anything?”
Henley shrugged. “I mean, not right now. I’m exhausted still.”
“You’re okay though, right?” She heard him shuffle around like he was sitting up, and his mood shifted to concern. “Like, you’re not tired because you did too much yesterday or anything?”
“No, I think I’m fine. I have an appointment tomorrow at the doctor’s, anyway, so I can bring it up if I’m still tired by then. Don’t worry.”
“Do you want me to come over?”
“Josh, I’m okay. You were up all night, just go to sleep, I’m fine.”
“Alright, I’ll be up in a few hours. Call Annie or me if you need us.”
“Go to sleep, Josh,” she called as she pulled the phone away from her ear and hung up before he could respond.
-
As the sun set for the night, Josh got back to Henley’s house after his sleep, an excited smile plastered to his face. “What?” Henley asked as she opened the door and saw his expression.
He swooped in and flung his arms around her shoulders, “I got my office. They called me after I woke up and let me know. I start at the beginning of the week. Pat does, too.”
Henley smiled, clapping excitedly as he leaned down to kiss her. “We should celebrate. I can make dinner.”
Josh watched with a smile from a stool at the island as Henley moved around the kitchen, searing chicken, steaming vegetables and rice. She grabbed a couple plates and utensils, handing them to Josh and pointing at the circular breakfast table in the corner. By the time that Josh had finished setting the table, Henley was pulling the chicken out of the oven and putting the pieces in a dish to serve.
She watched as Josh saw a candle on the window sill and yanked a lighter out of his pocket after setting it in the middle of the table. Once it was lit, he rushed to a chair to pull it out for her. She sat as he grabbed the vegetables and rice from the counter and set them with the chicken. With everything done, Josh sat, and they dug in.
“So what does the promotion mean for your hours?”
“Not really anything for the summer. It’ll pretty much be the same. Whenever I’m needed. Why? Were you worried I would be tied down in a nine to five job?” he asked with a snicker.
Henley narrowed her eyes at him jokingly. “Maybe,” she said bluntly, despite herself.
Josh stared at his plate as he finished his rice, and Henley noticed his face flush.
They bickered lightheartedly for the rest of dinner, and after insistence from Josh, did the dishes together. Once Josh finished washing, and Henley was drying the last dish, he turned to her, though he was avoiding her eyes when she looked at him. He leaned against the sink until she finished. “What?”
He shrugged, “Dinner was good.” Henley smiled but she could tell he decided against saying what he originally wanted to tell her. “I guess I should head out, then,” he continued, pointing in the direction of the door.
Henley shook her head, moving toward him, “You don’t have to if you think I’m trying to kick you out again. My dad has a pretty extensive collection of movies.”
Josh agreed and followed her into the family room attached to the kitchen. Henley moved toward the coffee table to get the remote, then rejoined him at the stack of cases on a shelf by the TV, circling her arm through his. He looked down at her, smiling before he leaned down to kiss her.
Henley pushed herself on her toes to meet him, and they both moved so they faced each other. They stood like that for a minute, before Henley put her hands on the back of his neck and pulled him down closer to her.
She ended up knocking half of the DVDs off the shelf as Josh pressed her against it. He broke away long enough to take a breath and she spoke, “Come on,” and grabbed his hand before pulling him in the direction of her room.
“How long can you go without the oxygen?” he asked when they fell onto her bed, though her hands were already loosening the tube from behind her ears and pulling it off.
“I’ll be fine,” she insisted, pushing herself up to reattach their lips.
-
Josh was the first one to wake up the next morning. Henley followed soon after as he attempted to stretch, but pulled Henley’s tube that was tangled around his arm. He panicked and rushed to unwrap the tube from his arm as Henley only laughed and reached around, easily unraveling it.
“Sorry, sorry,” he breathed, putting his arm back around her shoulders after she pushed him back down and rested her head on his bare chest. He smiled down at her when she looked up, planting a kiss on her forehead. “You still want to see my office?” he asked quietly.
Henley flipped onto her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows so she could look at him, thankful she put a shirt on last night after she put her cannula back in. “Do you actually want to me to go?”
Josh shrugged, tucking his arms behind his head. “It’s Saturday, no one should really be in besides anyone who’s necessary.”
“If you’re okay with it I’m down. Breakfast is necessary first, though,” she said, scooting to the end of the bed and hoping down. Josh watched as she put on a pair of shorts under his shirt, and got up as she grabbed one of each pill on her dresser and walked out.
Henley dropped her handful of pills on the counter and swallowed them two at a time after she grabbed a bottle of water. Josh slid in behind her and opened the fridge, then grabbed everything he would need for breakfast. Before Henley could protest, he pressed a kiss to her lips to silence her, then shooed her off to a stool at the counter.
-
After breakfast, Henley and Josh took turns taking a shower, then both dressed and got into Josh’s truck, going into town.
“Where are we going?”
“Down by the water, technically on Lake Superior.”
Josh pulled up to the marina, taking a spot by a dilapidated building that began near the shore and extended out onto the lake on a pier. There were two men posted outside the front door, and though they looked relatively innocuous without any noticeable weapons, Josh grabbed Henley’s hand and pushed her behind him as they approached. Josh nodded curtly at one of them and he returned it before he kicked one of the weathered barn doors open and watched them enter. Immediately, she was hit with the scent of stagnant marijuana smoke, and she suppressed an irritated cough until Josh got her into his office.
As soon as the plank of wood that had been subbed in for a door was closed, Henley let go, coughing loudly into her sleeve. She pulled out her rescue inhaler and took a puff, trying to calm herself down. Josh simply looked on helplessly, not knowing what to do.
Henley dropped down into a chair in the corner that was in the same condition as the rest of the building around her, and counted, trying to regulate her breathing through her wheezing.
“Do you need me to do anything?” Josh asked hesitantly. Henley shook her head and coughed for a final time before she smiled weakly.
“Actually, do you have any water?” He tipped his head once, then disappeared out the door. A minute later, he came back in, Patrick close on his tail, and handed her a bottle. Henley noticed Patrick’s strained expression as she gulped the water down and Josh put her inhaler back in her bag for her.
“What the fuck, Josh? How many fucking times do you need to be told not to bring her into this shit?” Patrick yelled, slapping Josh across the back of his head as he cornered him on the other side of the room.
“Piss off, Pat, she’s okay,” he countered, rubbing the back of his head.
“She doesn’t look it,” Patrick grunted, looking behind him at Henley. She glowered, and he only laughed. “After the show you just put on, I find it hard to take that seriously.”
Josh shoved him, getting Patrick’s attention back in front of him. Henley could hear people shuffling around outside the room, and they must have heard the struggle that was ensuing on the other side of the door, because all at once four men came barging in, bringing in fresh and stale smoke from the main room of the warehouse. For the second time, a coughing fit cropped up in Henley.
Josh pushed his way out of the crowd of disheveled men and kneeled in front of her as she buried her face in the crook of her elbow, trying to contain the new round of coughs. He grabbed her inhaler back out and gave it to her, pushing her hair behind her ears, mumbling, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t think they would all be here.”
Patrick rejoined him, still visibly angry, and grabbed him by the bicep, yanking him out the door as the rest of the men followed, all staring at Henley. Josh snatched himself out of Pat’s grip and pushed the door halfway open so he could keep an eye on her.
Henley only half paid attention to what was going on around her as she pressed the cannula to her face and hunched over her tank. She turned to her right when she saw Josh kept looking at her. Henley studied him as he turned to Patrick and noticed that his hair was lighter than hers, unlike at the beginning of the summer. Dirty blonde streaks mixed with a light brown were pushed away by his hand as he turned to her with a weak smile. She thought about how weird it was that she noticed that then of all times, but smiled back anyway, scooting back in the chair.
“I’ll be careful,” she heard Josh say before he cut Patrick off and came back in the room, closing the makeshift door and stacking a couple of boxes full of papers against it so it would stay shut. He knelt down in front of her again, and she pushed her tank off to the side so she could properly look at him. “I’m sorry,” he said for the third time as he took one of her hands in both of his.
“I know,” Henley replied simply as he pressed a kiss to her fingers. She took another minute as Josh watched her catch her breath. “So this is your new place, huh?” she asked with as genuine a smile as she could muster. Her fits had tired her out.
Josh looked around casually. It wasn’t much. There was a desk and a TV that against the wall across from it that showed the feeds of four security cameras. A sofa was set in front of it. As Henley pushed herself up by the handle of her tank, she noticed that the area that the desk was in was two steps up from everything else along with an empty bed frame, though boxes of papers and miscellaneous garbage covered the stairs. There were two windows opposite the door that overlooked the lake, and Henley gravitated toward the view. Josh came up behind her.
“What time is your doctor’s appointment tomorrow?”
“Ten so I need to leave by at least seven to get downtown,” she said leaning against his chest.
“Are you still tired?”
Henley put her head on his shoulder to look up at him. “I just spent twenty minutes hacking up a lung, so yeah.”
“You want me to take you home?” Henley shrugged.
“It’s weirdly nice here.” Josh gave her a confused look. “Minus the attacks.”
The conversation lulled as Josh moved away from Henley at the window and began sorting through the piles on the stairs.