The Queen's Back

After Ava went upstairs, Joseph took a careful look around the living room where she lived.

The space was simply decorated, mostly in shades of white. After surveying it, he sat down on the couch and waited for Ava to return.

He touched his cheek absentmindedly; it was bleeding slightly-Bud had hit him hard.

But he thought it was worth it since Ava had brought him here.

When Ava came down with a first-aid kit, she noticed the corners of Joseph's mouth lifting into a small smile.

The sight made her guilt deepen just a bit more, and she hurried over to him.

"I'm so sorry. I don't know why he snapped like that, making you take a punch for nothing," she said apologetically, opening the first-aid kit and sitting beside him.

"What are you apologizing for? I took the punch, but I gave one back, too," Joseph replied, frowning slightly.

He didn't like it when Ava apologized to him. It made him feel like she was aligned with Bud, leaving him on the outside.

But Ava was his girlfriend, not Bud's.

"Alright, alright-keep still and lower your head so I can treat it," Ava said, dipping a cotton swab into antiseptic. She reached for his cheek.

Joseph tilted his face towards her hand as instructed.

They were sitting close, and Joseph could smell the fresh, clean scent that seemed to cling to her.

His heart sped up just a bit.

Ava dabbed the cotton swab on his injured cheek.

Perhaps it was because it was Ava's first time doing that, so it seemed she wasn't used to treating wounds gently. Joseph couldn't help but hiss in pain and leaned back a little. Seeing his reaction, Ava quickly apologized and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was being rough."

fine-I overreacted,"

first attempt, Ava lightened her touch, and soon she was placing

brief thought about

who had other people to take care of him. "Alright," she said, looking at the band-aid on

face look a bit less polished. "So, do

would I mind? It's nothing. Do you want some water? I'll go get you

his breath brushed against her, making her a little uncomfortable. Seeing Ava trying to get up, Joseph grasped her hand firmly, causing her to fall onto his lap. Her face instantly flushed, and she felt awkward in

arm instinctively wrapped around Ava's waist, and his chin rested on the inside of

he spoke, the warmth of his breath against her

of their extraordinarily intimate proximity. Her hands were tangled together,

up. This position felt

her waist, his lips brushing against her neck

got up from Joseph's lap and

them spoke, and the living room fell into an extraordinary silence. Even the

few

a bit edgy today. After instructing her to close the door when she went to bed, he suggested he

walked

a long time, his hand still warm from holding hers. She urged him, "It's getting late. You should go home

slightly curly and felt nice to

the hug was over, Joseph

tomorrow, so we won't have much time to see each other. If you have time, you

try to come by when I can,"

looking for work. Making money was one thing, but passing the time felt more pressing, and she just felt so bored when idling away the days. When Joseph left in his RV,

Bud dropped the cigarette from his hand and opened the

picked up his cell phone and dialed Chelly's

with Ava, but after seeing her so close with another man tonight, he understood his feelings had deepened. As Maxwell had said, he had made mistakes,

wanted to follow