They’re talking over each other now, bustling around her bed, and Julia’s loving the attention, grinning at them like everything is right in the world. And then she’s grinning at me. Her smile so damn adorable I feel my chest tighten from it.
It’s been forever since she’s smiled at me like that.
“Ace is the best,” Julia says, and both of our moms look at me. “He’s also really handsome, you know? Like, it’s almost not fair.”
My mom smiles at me like she’s in on a secret, and I do my best to ignore her. I haven’t told her or my dad shit about what’s gone down between Julia and me, but Cassie Kelly is sage. She doesn’t miss a fucking beat…over anything. I know that she knows something is up. Hell, my dad even knows something’s up, but I refuse to have that conversation right now.
“Cass, you and Thatch have hot genes,” Julia rambles.
Georgia snorts.
My mom is still smiling.
“Every girl on campus wants to date Ace Kelly.” Julia huffs out breath. “It’s annoying.”
“You know, Julia, I think Ace Kelly only wants to date one girl,” my mom says, and she’s running her hand over Julia’s head.
“Who?” Julia asks, looking between my mom and me.
“Don’t even think about it, Cassie,” I warn, and my mom shrugs at me and looks back at Julia.
“Maybe you should ask him,” she tells Julia. “But, like, maybe do it when you’re not so high, okay?”
“Okay!” Julia yells toward her phone that’s now sitting by her hip. “Siri! Remind me to ask Ace who he wants to date!”
“I’m sorry, but I didn’t understand that,” Siri responds, Julia’s phone lighting up.
“I said, remind me to ask Ace who he wants to date!” Julia shouts.
“Searching for pizza-date ideas,” Siri responds.
“Oh my God!” Julia groans and drops her head back against her pillows.
For a moment, it feels like everything is perfect in the world. Like maybe nothing’s broken. Like maybe Jules and I will find a way back to each other. Like maybe she loves me back.
But then, the curtain rustles again, and the last fucking person on the planet I want to see right now steps into the room.
“Julia?” Drew’s voice is all concern and breathlessness as he appears, eyes wide.
Instantly, my little bliss bubble is popped, and I’m catapulted back down to fucking reality. You know, the one where she’s dating this bag of tools and we’re not friends.
“Drew?” Julia looks at him, her expression a little more guarded. “What are you doing here?”
He’s at her side in a flash. “I came as soon as I saw your text back. Are you okay? What happened?”
“It’s no big deal,” Julia says and adjusts her now-bandaged hand in her lap. “Only a little cut.”
“A little cut?” Drew responds with wide eyes. “You got stitches.”
And I stand there, watching him run his hand over the top of her head and looking down at her in a way only a boyfriend does with his girlfriend. Because, yeah, Juliaishis girlfriend.
I feel it all like a punch to the gut.
And I… I can’t be here.
Not with him. Not with her pretending like everything’s fine. Not with the taste of her skin still fresh on my lips and the ache of everything we’ve lost weighing me down.
While my mom and Georgia and Drew hover around Julia’s bed, I back away slowly. I make an excuse of going to grab a coffee that no one really hears.
