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it's only paradise if it's with you

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is everyone friends again? 👀

I hope so 💀

queen 🤍

this is such a cute caption 🥺🥺

liked by jaygup, overtime, jamorant & 167,850 others

slime!

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slatt!

wowwwww long time no see 🤧

look who's stopped being bitter in the comments

king🤍

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inside.

Like someone had taken a vacuum and sucked out every organ except his heart.

Make no mistake about it, Joshua could very much still feel his heart.

The look of horror and disbelief on Ayoluwa's face during their last conversation at the lake house had stayed on Joshua's mind, etched into his brain like a tattoo.

Joshua rolled over in his bed in an attempt to move to the cold side.

Sleeping without Ayoluwa on the other side had been such an odd feeling.

He had forgotten what it felt like to sleep alone and to say that he didn't like it was an understatement.

Joshua sat up against the headboard and surveyed the now halfway packed up bedroom.

His mother had already started to move his clothes and shoes into clear storage boxes while he had been gone.

A rap at the door interrupted Joshua's thoughts.

He coughed, "Come in,"

Patrick walked in and Joshua stifled a groan.

"Come ride with me. Mom wants rasta pasta." Patrick flipped on the light switch making Joshua blink a couple of times.

"I'm good." Joshua replied in a low tone.

"I'm not giving you a chance. Get up, you're freaking mom out." Patrick retorted.

Joshua threw his head back with a sigh, "Fine. Give me a second."

Patrick nodded but left the bedroom door wide open.

Joshua managed to rise and stumble out of bed then stretched.

His body still felt empty, in fact Joshua felt so empty that if he were to take off and fly, he wouldn't be surprised.

After a quick hygienic routine, Joshua was in Patrick's car, his eyes on Ayoluwa's house.

The lights were off, giving Joshua no hints about whether Ayoluwa was home or not.

Joshua wanted to march across the lawn, knock on the door until she answered and then properly explain his side until Ayoluwa agreed to be, at the very least, a friend.

Patrick started the car and began to back out of the driveway, "Are you good?"

Joshua reclined the seat a little more, "Why are you asking?"

"Because if I had not made you get up, you would still be in bed and that's just not like you." Patrick stated.

The car moved out of the neighborhood onto the highway, "Yeah, well..." Joshua trailed off.

Patrick glanced over at him, "I know you're mad about the lake house. I don't know why you haven't said anything."

"Would that have changed your mind about selling it?" Joshua kept his eyes trained on the passing palm trees located on the side of the road.

Patrick was quiet for a moment, "I don't want to do it either. But the mortgage alone is just too much for mom and dad. I hate to see it go as much as you do."

"I find that hard to believe," Joshua muttered, "Where did mom order the food at?"

"Oasis, where else?"

An alarmed sort of feeling began to rise in Joshua's throat and he could feel his tongue become dry.

"There's no other Jamaican restaurants nearby?" Joshua could hear the panic in his own tone.

Patrick glanced at him once more, "I mean, yeah. Obviously. But Oasis is the best one."

"I'm sure there's better ones." Joshua responded, trying to keep his anxiety out of his voice.

Patrick rolled his eyes, "Is this about your beef with that girl? Grow up, Josh."

Joshua remained quiet at his older brother's words as he stopped the car outside of the infamous restaurant.

The parking lot was nearly full, with only four spots remaining, indicating how busy the inside of the restaurant was.

"Go and get the food." Patrick said.

"What?" Joshua snapped his head over to look at his brother.

"'What?' Go and get the food. It's under my name."

"Why can't you get it?" The last thing that Joshua wanted to do was run into Ayoluwa on accident.

He needed time to prepare all the words, time to make sure that they were right.

"I drove. Now go," Patrick jerked his head towards the front doors of the restaurant.

Joshua hesitated then after one final glare from Patrick, slowly got out of the car.

Joshua prayed that luck would be on his side and that Ayoluwa wasn't working today.

The smell of scotch bonnets and curry spices filled his nostrils as he entered the establishment.

Behind the host stand was a black girl with her curly hair slicked up into a puff, and Joshua nodded at her, "I have an order for Patrick Christopher."

"Yes, give me one second. Ayo!" The girl called to the kitchen area.

Oh, fuck no.

No.

No.

No.

I'm not ready.

Joshua squeezed his eyes shut at the sound of footsteps behind him then whirled around.

Ayoluwa's smile immediately faded as her gaze fell upon him.

She was dressed in a casual uniform of a black shirt, blue jeans with a yellow, white half apron tied around her waist and her locs were pulled into a high ponytail.

"Here you go." Ayoluwa places the plastic bag full of food on the hostess' counter instead of Joshua's waiting hands.

Then she turned around and swiftly began to walk away.

Joshua sighed then followed her, "Wait. Palmer, wait."

Ayoluwa went into the kitchens but that didn't stop Joshua from tracing her footsteps.

"Go away, Josh!" Ayoluwa finally whirled around and her hair hit him square in the chest.

"I need to talk to you." Joshua pleaded as he tried to ignore the looks of her grandmother and the other chefs in the kitchen.

"Don't you think you said everything you needed to say yesterday?" Ayoluwa began to refill the empty salt and pepper shakers.

"You must understand... I-I.." Joshua was tongue tied.

"You what? Huh? You what?" Ayoluwa snapped at him.

Her grandmother cleared her throat causing the two to turn around and face her.

"I'm afraid that the little arguments y'all like to do have to wait. We're very busy today and I need Ayo to work and not be aggravated." Camille said.

Joshua sighed and gave one more look to Ayoluwa.

Her back was completely turned but her hands were shaking noticeably as she did her sides.

Joshua pursed his lips but did as her grandmother requested.

He grabbed the still waiting bag of food on his way out of the door.

When Joshua rejoined Patrick in the car, his older brother started the car, "What took so long?"

"The food wasn't ready yet." Joshua muttered as the car backed out of the parking space to begin the journey home.

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