Girl Get Rid Of That Jerk by Melissa Johns

Joshua's voice was low and rough. "I didn't come alone-John and I are taking turns driving. Allie, I won't feel right until I see you with my own eyes.”

It was nearly six hundred miles. Even with perfect roads it would take ten hours, and with Havenbrook half-underwater from the floods, there was no telling how long it would actually take.

Allison clutched her phone, knuckles white, heart pounding so hard it almost hurt. Her eyes prickled, tears threatening to fall.

She was touched, honestly, but her words came out sharp. "Who asked you to come looking for me? Joshua, it's dangerous here there's flooding everywhere. Don't do this just to make yourself feel noble, okay? If something happens to you, I can't take that on. I'm fine, really. Go home. Don't come."

Joshua let out a dry, self-deprecating laugh. “Nobody asked me to come. I wanted to, Allie. If anything happens, it's on me-not you."

Allison's throat tightened, her eyes stinging. "Joshua, I don't want you here. Please, just go back!"

This village was out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by floodwater, with mudslides possible anywhere nearby.

Joshua coming out here was just too dangerous.

She couldn't let him risk himself for her.

But he wasn't listening.

His voice was barely holding together, thick with emotion. "Allie, if something happened to you... I don't see the point in anything anymore."

Allison's heart squeezed, the pain sharp and relentless.

Wave after wave, it hurt.

"I'm not scared of danger," Joshua said, voice ragged, "I'm just scared I'll never see you again."

and gold across the horizon. The

shaky

night, Allison couldn't

how she tossed and turned, she couldn't stop thinking about Joshua. Worry

the village was still isolated, floodwaters slow to

help but imagine something happening to

was wide

soft knock came

up and

Willow was outside.

"What's up?" Allison asked.

her a phone.

the called this afternoome

Thought you'd Thought you'd

see it." want t

Allison's heart skipped.

glanced down

Get some sleep. See

finally relaxing. She gave Willow a grateful

trouble," Willow said quietly. "Try

Allison nodded.

into bed, the

See you tomorrow.