The water has grown cold by the time Jules finally surrenders, her body going lax against the wall.
I fight to catch my breath, barely able to see straight as I turn off the water. I reach for a towel on the rack right outside the shower curtain.
Jules purrs contentedly as I wrap her up in it. She yips when I scoop her off her feet and carry her to the bed.
She pulls me down on the mattress alongside her, not caring that my skin is dripping from head to toe. She crawls atop me, pulling my arms around her waist. “I think this has been the best weekend of my life…” she murmurs, pulling the covers around us.
I don’t answer. I can’t. Finding the right words to describe what I just experienced is impossible.
Not gonna lie. If Cameron hadn’t already called half a dozen times saying that he misses us so much, I might have kept Jules for a few more days here in our quiet bed and breakfast in Crescent Harbor. Leaving our little bubble to go home is going to be tough.
Work. School. Parental duties. Dinner and dishes in the sink. Back to the real world is going to feel impossible.
All I know is I’m in love with this woman.
Period. Point blank. End of discussion.
Our weekend together just solidified that reality for me.
And the part that terrifies me the most? Knowing that the end of our marriage is right around the corner now.
This weekend with Jules is our unofficial goodbye.
47
JULES
“Are you sure you don’t want a shot? You look like…well, like you could use one,” Alba stands next to me as we eyeball the tequila bottle Chloe just grabbed off the shelf.
“I do need one,” I agree with a nervous chuckle, wringing my hands together. “But I shouldn’t. I need to keep my wits today.”
Chloe snorts as she fills three shot glasses. “Well, if you girls don’t want yours, I’ll drink one for each of us.” Her eyes flit across the room. Oliver is here. He’s with that Marley girl again. Chloe knocks back all three shots, back-to-back, without so much as a wince.
Alba and I stare at her in awe.Badass.
“I still think you’d be able to relax better with some alcohol in you though.” My best friend looks worried about me.
“I’ll be fine,” I assure her, squeezing her hand.
She shrugs. “Your call. Be sure to find me later, so I can give you your birthday present.”
“Thanks, hun.” I watch as she turns and chases after Easton, who’s chasing after Jagger.
I laugh. They’re good together.They’ve defied all logic and rules by ending up together despite all the obstacles. I wonder if that kind of luck might be in the cards for Lincoln, Cameron and me.
“Happy birthday, Jules!” someone shouts as they whisk by, making me jump.
“Thanks,” I squeak nervously for the thirtieth time today.
This is it. The day I finally turn twenty-seven.
Shoot. I’m probably more nervous today than I was on my wedding day.
But this is different. This day isn’t just about celebrating twenty-seven years of life. It’s about reaching a monumental milestone that will change my life forever.
It’s the day I’m supposed to receive a check from my trust fund.
The moment I’ve been waiting for since my thirteenth birthday, when Great-Grandma sat me down and explained what ‘inheritance’ meant.
