❪ 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐇 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 ❫ ﮩـﮩﮩ٨ـ🫀ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ
𝚜𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚗𝚎 🥀 𝚎𝚙𝚒𝚜𝚘𝚍𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚛
𝚓𝚘𝚜𝚒𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚐𝚊𝚍𝚘 × 𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚌 𝚗𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚖𝚊𝚗

❝ ANOTHER DRINK ❞

‧₊˚🖇️✩ ₊˚🩸⊹ ♡ JOSIE SAT ON THE COUCH IN DAWN'S APARTMENT, her arms around herself as she sniffled and wiped her nose, she swallowed hard. It was still hard to believe that Dawn was just gone when not even two nights ago they had gone out together. She shifted a little on the cushion, reaching up to wipe a new tear as it rolled down her cheek.

Sheriff Dearborne sat on the coffee table before her, Jason on the chair on the other side of the living room and a deputy sat close to Jason — who'd shown up with flowers to apologize not long after Josie had.

"Now, I realize you've been through a lot," Bud started, getting Josie to focus on him again. "And you're scared. But I need you to try and remember when you got here. Was the door open or just unlocked?"

She took a breath, blinking a few times, "un-unlocked." She answered, her voice shaking and he scribbled in his little notebook and she couldn't help it as the thoughts slipped in.

It pisses me off the way she calls me 'Andy', everybody calls Bud 'sheriff'. Why can't they call me 'detective', goddamn it. When am I gonna get some respect around here?

She let her eyes move across the room to where Andy Bellflure sat at the table, his pen and notepad out but it was clear that his head was anywhere but the case at hand even as he asked Dawn's neighbor about the fight she'd heard the night before between Jason and Dawn.

Then the thoughts of the coroner slipped in, well, would you look at that. A fine pair of perfect, natural breasts. I'd have laid down money that they were fake. Well done, God. Well, not so well down lettin' her die like you did. I bet that Josie's got some real nice...

She shook her head, her nose scrunched in disgust then she sniffled. Her eyes landed on Jason across the room, fuck, fuck. Fuck am I gonna do? I already got outta this once. No way they gonna let me walk again. And I'm too damn pretty to go to prison.

"Josie," Bud spoke, his voice a little raised as if he had been trying to get her attention and she flinched a little, a breath leaving her as she refocused on him.

"I-I'm sorry," she mumbled, squeezing her arms around herself. "What was the question?"

"Is that the exact position you found her in?"

"Y-Yeah." She nodded, then the image of her hand slipping off the pillow replayed in her head – it'd haunt her nightmares. "Well, I, uh, I–" she swallowed hard. "I shook her a little a-and her hand fell off the pillow."

"Oh, I wish you hadn't done that," he told her in a slightly scolding tone.

She let out a humorless laugh that sounded harsh. "Yeah, next time I find a friend of mine dead, I'll try to remember that." She snarked, shaking her head a little as she leaned back into the couch.

Then after a few more questions, Josie watched as they cuffed Jason and Andy led him out to the sheriff's car.

"Thank you, Josie." Bud told the girl as he stepped out onto the small porch where the girl stood with her arms wrapped around herself. "We'll be in touch." She merely nodded, ignoring Andy as he shouted for the sheriff to hurry up. She watched as he climbed into the car, using her hand to wipe her cheeks, then she saw Sam making his way towards her.

He offered a small, comforting smile, "came as soon as I heard." And she couldn't stop fresh tears from forming. He quickly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in tight as she sobbed into his chest. "Josie," he sighed, tightening his arms around her, then he kissed the side of her head.

"She's gone, Sam." She sniffled, hating that she was crying again – she hated crying in front of people.

"I know," he mumbled. "I'm sorry you had to be the one to find her." He hated that he called her, that he had asked her to check in on the girl. It made his gut twist, even more so as she pulled back, looking up at him with teary eyes.

She merely shrugged her shoulders a little, she was sorry she was the one that had found her, too. He reached out and gently wiped her cheeks with his thumbs before he leaned in and softly kissed her forehead.

"Come on," he mumbled. "Let's sit down." She only nodded as he led her to the small step, helping her lower herself down, then he sat next to her. "You know, sometimes I don't even recognize this world we're livin' in. I mean, goddamn it!" She merely hummed and laid her head against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his bicep. "You think I should shut down for the day?"

"No," she mumbled. "'Cause I could use a nice stiff drink."

He just nodded, patting her arm softly with his hand, "you don't have to-"

"No," she cut him off. "The last thing I need is to be alone with my thoughts. I might be late, though, I wanna swing by the house, let Gran and Sookie know what's goin' on."

"It's Bon Temps, they already know."

"Lord knows this town can't keep nothing a secret," she muttered. "But still... with Jason and everythin', I–"

"Excuse me," a voice cut in and they both turned to see the deputy on the other side of the porch rail. "Are you Mr. Merlotte?"

"Yes."

"Detective in charge tells me you're the landlord."

"That's right," Sam nodded.

"We need to get in the victim's storage unit, but we don't have a key. If you could find one, it'd be a big help right about now."

Sam stood up and pulled his key ring from his pocket, then he leaned down and kissed the top of Josie's head. She sent him a small, barely there smile, then he walked away, leaving her alone.

"Excuse me, miss?" She looked up, seeing a boy on the other side of the screen door, he had coroner splayed across his back. "Can you please let us by?"

"Oh, yeah," she mumbled as she pushed herself up and stepped out of the way as she carried a body bag through the door and her stomach flipped.

"Hey, Josie." Mike Spencer, the coroner smiled at her, his eyes dropping to her chest for just a moment before he nodded towards the boy across from him. "Neil Jones, my new apprentice. He's from Kentucky."

"Hi," Neil nodded towards her.

"Um... hi." she mumbled, her brows pinched. Neither seemed to care that they were carrying a dead body and Josie took a shaky breath before she made her way towards her car, slamming the door behind her. She closed her eyes, ignoring all the lingering eyes and the thoughts she knew they were thinking.

She crunk the car up, turning the radio all the way up until she couldn't hear anything but music. Then she drove away, tears rolling down her face.

‧₊˚🖇️✩ ₊˚🩸⊹ ♡ JOSIE SWALLOWED HARD, making her way towards the kitchen. She'd stopped crying but her eyes were still red and her cheeks were still puffy, so the minute she stepped into the room, Sookie had her arms wrapped around her neck. It took her by surprise, but she accepted it, hugging the blonde back.

"We heard," Adele told her as the two girls pulled apart.

"About Jason, too?" She asked, her fingers toying with the end of her dress.

Adele nodded, "he didn't do it, ya know."

"We know," Sookie answered, though she didn't sound too sure.

"Jason may be many things, but he is not a murder."

"We know," Josie nodded, though she sounded more sure than Sookie had.

"The thing is though, girls, in all the years that I've lived in Bon Temps, I can't recall but two, maybe three murders. And now there are two in one week. People are not gonna stand for it. And if the police can't find the person who did it, they're gonna find Jason." Adele told them, her eyes bouncing between the two girls, "he needs your help. Both of you."

"Gran, how are we supposed to–"

"Use the gift God gave you," she cut Sookie off. "Listen in on people, keep your ears open – you're bound to hear somethin'."

"It ain't really got anything to do with our ears," Josie told the older woman.

"Whatever it is you use to listen, use it." Adele stated firmly. "He is your brother, Sookie. Might as well be yours, too."

Josie just nodded, but it was Sookie who answered, "okay."

Adele smiled at the two, moving to hug them, "good girls." She pulled them in tight, both wrapping their arms around her. And though she hated it, her mind had drifted back to Eric, but she shook the thought away.

‧₊˚🖇️✩ ₊˚🩸⊹ ♡ IT WAS LOUD, the bar was packed. And Josie, who probably should've stayed home, was working like she usually would. Her shorts were short, her shirt tight, and her apron slung around her waist. On her feet were her favorite Nikes, her most comfortable shoes, but still her feet ached from the near constant back and forth. She hadn't let herself slow down long enough to think, much less to listen in on what other people thought.

She wasn't sure she could do it. She couldn't listen to what people thought of Dawn, especially now that she was gone.

She loaded up a tray with her orders, and turned away from the window, raising her middle finger to Lafayette, who had been yelling about them not picking up their orders fast enough. She plastered on a smile, though this one wasn't as conceiving as her usual smile. It didn't quite reach her eyes, and it only faded as she let the other thoughts slip in.

Who killed Dawn? I wonder if he had sеx with her or not. Seems like a waste if he didn't. She sure was pretty. Never even looked at me. A man sitting at a booth with a blonde at his thought, and Josie scrunched her nose up.

Then her eyes settled on an older blonde woman that sat alone, Can't get that letter in Cosmo out of my head. How much better could an оrgasm with a vampire be? I wonder, is it that much better?

So much better, Josie thought to herself.

What the hell is this world coming to? Another man thought, his sleeveless flannel hanging loosely off his frame as his eyes scanned the bar. Dead fucks, niggers, and regular folk all livin' together. If God wanted it like this, he'd have made us look the same. It ain't good. Maybe these really are the end times.

Josie rolled her eyes, as she passed him, letting the cup on the trey she held tip over onto his back, making the man gasp as he turned, his brows furrowed in anger as he started yelling.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized, smiling politely at him as she grabbed the rag from her back pocket and patted at his back.

"Fuck this," he muttered before pushing himself up, then he and his friends left, leaving Josie to smile to herself.

She stopped and looked around before her eyes settled on Sookie, who looked about as worn out as she did. They simply shared a nod and both got back to listening in, just as they had promised Gran.

I don't know what everybody's so upset about... A woman who sat in a booth alone thought as she licked her fingers. If you ask me, these whοres had it comin', hangin' out in vampire bars. That ain't natural, and it ain't safe.

Josie took a breath and continued towards her table, her jaw clenched and her hand balled into a fist at her side, but she continued past that woman, and towards the woman the food was for.

You seem sad that girl is dead. I wonder if y'all were friends. And if you were, that means you're probably next. Fucking fang-bangers, crazy, every last one of you.

"Thank you," the woman smiled as Josie sat her food in front of her.

Just like those women who write love letters to serial killers.

Josie managed a smile, "don't choke." She hummed as she walked away, ignoring the startled look on the woman's face as she stopped at another table, and sat their food in front of them. Then she made her last stop at the bar, sitting a basket of fries next to a man in a cowboy hat.

"Two margaritas," Arlene huffed, nearly out of breath as she stopped at the bar. "That Dawn sure left us high and dry, didn't she?" She muttered and Josie's steps faltered before she turned towards the red-head.

"Well, it ain't like she meant not to be here," she sassed.

"I know, but if she didn't spend her nights off at the vamp bar in Shreveport, she still would be."

Josie was too stunned to speak as tears built behind her eyes. She had been holding them back her entire shift, and she had been working well over eight hours almost non-stop. She'd been going since lunch, barely taking a break long enough to get a sip of water – if not for Sam making her take her breaks.

"Did I just hear you right, Arlene?" Sookie butted in when she saw the look on Josie's face. "You oughta be ashamed of yourself."

"Oh, please," she nearly scoffed. "Ain't there even a part of you thinks she had it comin'?"

"No, not a single part." Sookie shook her head.

Then you'll understand when I-

Stop. Sookie's voice cut off Josie's thoughts just as her hand clenched into a fist, ready to throw it right in Arlene's nose.

"And I'm takin' your ranch." The blonde grabbed the little plastic cup and Josie's arm, then pulled her away from the redhead. "You should take a break."

"I can't take a break, we're busy as all hell."

"You need a break before you hit someone," Sookie told her. "Can't have you and Jason behind bars on the same day, now can we?" They just looked at each other, neither backing down. "Do I gotta get Sam? 'Cause I will."

"Fine," Josie huffed, rolling her eyes as she made her way to the bar. "Sam," she lifted herself onto a stool, cutting off the conversation he was having with Tara. "-gimme a beer."

He sighed, "you're on the clock."

"Sookie told me to take a break before I hit somebody," she told him, her chin in her hand.

He only nodded then poured her a glass of whisky, "maybe somethin' stronger?"

She sent him a genuine smile, "thanks."

"Now, go on back to the office. Take a breather."

"Can do, boss man." she saluted then she made her way towards the back, sipping on her drink as she stepped into the office and closed the door behind her. She took a breath, letting her eyes fall closed as silence enveloped her. She sank into the armchair, holding her glass close as she blinked back the tears that had built behind her eyes. She didn't want to cry any more, she hated crying, especially in front of people.

Just as she finished her drink, the door opened and Sam walked in. She sat up a little, wiping her eyes, "I should-"

"No, no, stay." He shook his head, a soft smile on his lips. "Just gotta do some paperwork." He pointed to the computer that sat on the desk.

"I clocked out," she told him. "Didn't think it was right to drink on the clock."

"You've been here since noon, Josie. You can head home, we'll manage."

She just nodded, her eyes on her empty glass, "can I just sit here for a little while longer? You're about the only person I don't wanna hit right now."

""Course." He nodded, reaching over and lightly patting her knee. "Stay as long as you'd like."

She smiled a little as she settled back into the chair, slumping down as she crossed her knee over the other and let her eyes fall closed. "Thanks, Sam." She mumbled, her voice close to a whisper, he merely hummed and started typing on the computer. "You know, night before last, I wasn't sick."

He chuckled, "I know. Dawn's a shit liar."

They both laughed, the sound laced with a melancholy tone, "she is... was." Josie mumbled, her brows knitted a little. "And I need another-"

"Hey, Sam-" the door opened and Sookie stepped into the room.

"Hey," he nodded, looking up at the blonde.

"Is it alright if I take the rest of the night off?"

"Why?"

"I need to go to that vampire bar in Shreveport so I can snoop around and see if I can clear my brother's name, and ... Mr. Compton was kind enough to agree to take me. And Josie." Sookie answered and Josie sat up a little at the mention of the bar, her pulse racing a little.

"Mr. Compton?" Sam repeated, his eyebrows raised. "Oh, Jesus, Sookie, you gonna get yourself killed. And Josie, you know that?"

"We'll be fine." She argued.

"Baby, the fact that you think you'll be fine, only proves just how not fine you're gonna be." He told her. "Vampires think about one thing, and one thing only: drinking your blood."

"Oh, like humans aren't bloodthirsty?" She rebutted. "All those people out there wanna see my brother hang for a crime he didn't commit. Is that what you want?"

"I need more alcohol," Josie mumbled, leaning back in the chair.

"No, I'm not saying don't help your brother. I-"

"And frankly, Sam, I'm surprised at you." Sookie cut him off. "I thought you were for the Vampire Rights Amendment."

"Well, I think they should be able to have their own bars. I just don't think people oughta go there."

"So you wanna return to days of separate but equal?" Sookie scoffed.

"Yeah, gonna need alcohol for sure." Josie mumbled as she pushed herself up. "I'll be at the bar." She told the two before leaving the room and plopping down on a stool, getting a raised eyebrow from Tara. "Hit me with the good stuff, it's on Sam." she told her.

"Drinkin' on the job," Tara teased playfully, fixing the girl her drink.

"Uh-uh, I'm off the clock," she hummed, raising her glass to her lips and taking a sip. It burned as it went down, but she closed her eyes, welcoming the feeling of it and the way the burn washed away the noise in her head, that is until a hand wrapped around her wrist.

"Come on," Sookie tugged her off the stool and she nearly fell, but she found her footing and grabbed her drink.

"I'll bring the glass back," she shouted to Tara, who merely waved her off. "Okay, Sookie, ow."

Sookie let her wrist go, slowing her steps as they neared the blonde's car, "sorry. Sam and I just... nevermind." She shook her head. "Can you come with me to the vampire bar?"

Josie knew she shouldn't. She knew that it was the last place she should be. But the thought of seeing him again was too good. Also, there was a bar.

"Bill's buyin', right?"

ﮩـﮩﮩ٨ـ🫀ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ nova speaks

finally getting around to beating this block, so here's another chapter!!

i hope y'all are enjoying this book as much as i am!!

and eric is in the next chapter!!!

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