I’ll just have to talk to her about it later.
When my phone starts full-on ringing, vibrating insistently against my thigh, I make my choice, turning and walking out the door, leaving Jules behind in my condo, alone.
Chapter 26
Jules
I’m still sitting, stunned, on Russell’s couch whenmyphone starts to ring.
After the door shut behind him, I was left in the chilling silence of the penthouse condo. Somehow, in the heart of the city, I couldn’t hear a noise from outside. Not a single car horn or crosswalk sign, no music from passing motorcycles or bells from the Salvation Army Santas.
Nothing but the heavy, thick beating of my heart, until the buzz of my phone cuts through it.
At first, like last night, I think that it might be Ettie calling about Gus, and I grab it from the coffee table. Then, remembering what happened last night when I made that assumption, dread swoops low in my already-stressed stomach, and I think that it might be my mom again, texting once more to remind me how disappointed she is in my life.
But it’s not Ettie, or my mom.
“Jules, great of you to finally answer,” Peter says, sounding out of breath. “There’s a crisis with a client and we’re all-hands-on-deck here. How soon can you get into the office?”
For a moment, I’m stunned at the particular flavor of bad luck that I’m tasting.
Gus on that show, then my mother’s response, then Russell running out of the apartment the minute I asked where this was going, and now Peter on the phone, saying I need to come into the office.
It’s the weekend. It’s not like I’mexpectedto come in. But if I don’t, there’s no doubt in my mind that he might note something down about menot being a team playeron my next progress report so he can justify not giving me the raise I deserve.
Russell’s voice plays through my head again:I want this for you, and I want Gus to have a mom who’s not exhausted and frustrated from her work. I want to invest in you. So let me.
I’d even started to let myself believe it, just for a second. That I might be the kind of person who could relax into someone else, let Russell prop one side of my life up so I could focus on my career. Living here, with Gus’s tuition paid—it would be a dream.
And that’s exactly what it is.
The moment he looked at his phone, Russell had reacted like?—
Well, like it washiskid. The way I might react if Ettie was calling me about Gus. When I saw that look on his face, it made my stomach swoop.
And as much as I know I shouldn’t jump to conclusions, I just can’t stop myself from doing it. From going straight to the worst possible explanation.
Especially considering the fact that it’s happened to me before. Russell wouldn’t be the first man to lie to me, to have a family on the side I don’t know about.
Just the thought of it makes me queasy.
“Juliette.”Peter uses my full name, and it doesn’t help the nausea rolling in my stomach. I close my eyes.
Ettie was already planning on keeping Gus today. I didn’t plan to pick him up until after my shift at the Christmas market.And although Iamin a soaring, beautiful condo in downtown Chicago, it feels barren without Russell here.
And, if I’m being honest with myself, I’d rather feel like shit in the office than feel like shit here, where I’d just started to really feel a sense of hope.
“I’m coming right now,” I say, throwing the covers off myself and trying to think about the clothes I brought, if they’ll be office appropriate. “Give me ten minutes.”
My heart hammers in my chest as I stomp out of the Elemint office, rage and fury clashing inside me.
Quinn slips through the door after me, saying breathlessly, “He didn’t mean to be so hard. Peter’s just frustrated from the whole…situation?—”
“I appreciate that you’re trying to make this better,” I say, stopping and turning to face Quinn, who’s following me out of the office, her heels clicking against the floor as we go. “But it can’t get better. I meant what I said.”
What I said, directly to Peter’s face was, “This is your circus, and all your monkeys are loose. I’m done running in circles for you. You can consider this my verbal and immediateresignation.”
Now, Quinn rushes ahead of me, cutting me off after I hit the elevator button, but before it arrives on our floor. “Jules, listen, you are avaluablemember of this team.”
