Revenge Turned Blue (Hosie)

Warning: Mature content!!

~~~~~

"Hey."

"Hey," Hope's lips involuntarily curled into a small smile, taking in the sight of the brunette, "Can we talk?"

Josie nodded her head then stepped aside, holding the door open wider for her. "Yeah. Come in."

~~

Hope stepped inside while Josie closed the door behind her and noticed how Hope was lingering in the threshold. Like she was unsure how far in she was welcome.

Josie turned and met her gaze with a slight tilt of her head, and she crossed her arms against her chest.

Hope's jaw tensed slightly. She broke the eye contact first, looking down at her feet for a split second, "I honestly wasn't sure if you'd let me in after everything that happened today."

Josie's brows furrowed slightly. "Well, then we're even because I wasn't sure if you'd lost my number," she replied and started making a beeline for the couch.

Hope follows behind slowly, nervously stuffing her hands into the pockets of her dress pants. Her voice was softer now, "Actually I lost my phone."

Josie finally meets her gaze again after she takes a seat on the couch and tucks her legs under her. But Hope stays on her feet, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

Josie tilts her head slightly, watching her, 'This is the first time I've ever seen her nervous...It's actually kind of adorable.'

She gets distracted by the thought and doesn't reply, but Hope continues anyway. "I should've told you, but when Jed said you canceled dinner–"

Josie's brows drew together, "What is he talking about? I came by to see what time you wanted to eat."

Hope blinked. The realization dawns on her that he lied to her for whatever reason. "Shit," Hope mutters defeatedly.

Josie gestures toward the dining area, "I stared at an empty chair for almost two hours until I finally accepted that you weren't coming."

"Your chair didn't look so empty to me," Hope said before her brain could tell her not to. And the words landed a little heavier than she intended, but they were out now.

When Josie shoots her a questioning look, Hope adds, keeping her tone even, "I tried to come by to make sure everything was alright, and I saw you and Rafael through the door."

A look of understanding washes over Josie's features. 'Now it makes sense why she's been avoiding me so much.'

She releases a small sigh, shaking her head. "I made that dinner for you, Hope." Her voice was soft and reassuring, "Raf and I are just friends. He came by unexpectedly and he was hungry. I didn't want the food to go to waste."

Hope let out a quiet groan and dragged a hand down her face, "God, I'm an idiot."

Josie let out a muffled chuckle, looking up at her with a dry, amused smile and jokes, "Yeah, a little bit."

Hope lets her hand fall from her face, eyes flicking to Josie's. A beat of silence passes between them before Hope finally steps closer, "I actually didn't come by to talk about that." She slowly lowered herself onto the couch beside Josie, which the brunette welcomed, angling her body more toward her. "I wanted to check on you. After everything today...With Dr. Tig and the tapes."

Josie's expression faltered for a moment, but she forced a soft weary smile that she knew Hope would be able to see through, and she nodded her head, "I'm okay."