Jett smiled, none the wiser. “Sorry about that. I had some quick business to take care of.”
I smiled back with two wet thighs. “Yup. Me too.”
CHAPTER 17
Wes
What the hell have I done?
Two days after I’d lost control with Juliette, the guilt had really started to set in. In these quiet moments alone in the morning while she was still sleeping, I found myself ruminating the most. When Juliette was right in front of me, on the other hand, it was much easier to forget our dilemma and focus on her. I couldn’t wait for her to wake up today, so I could escape into her beautiful face and forget everything else again.
My phone rang—my mother. I moved outside to the front of the house to avoid waking Juliette. “Hey, Ma.”
“Hi, honey. I wanted to check on you. We haven’t spoken much since Grandma’s funeral.”
I waved to a neighbor rolling his garbage cans out. “I know. I’m sorry. I’ve been busy with work.” I sighed. “How are you holding up?”
“It’s been quite the job cleaning out her house. So much stuff to go through, deciding what to keep, what to donate…”
“I bet. I’m sorry I can’t be there to help you.”
“You can’t imagine how many old photos I’ve come across of you and your brother. She loved you both so much.”
That made me smile and feel a little sad at the same time. “She kept everything, so that doesn’t surprise me.”
“So…” She paused. “How are things with Juliette?”
While I’d lied to my mother about the nature of my relationship with Juliette, ironically, after recent events, the lie didn’t seem like all that much of a stretch anymore.
“Things are still going well,” I finally said.Better than ever. But also, so very bad.
I wished I could tell my mother everything. I’d always valued her advice. Would she tell me to run from this situation before I got myself killed? Or would she believe that my feelings for Juliette superseded everything? One thing I knew: even if it didn’t work out between Juliette and me, I couldn’t leave her behind. I couldn’t trust anyone else to protect her.
I shook my head, unable to contain the truth. “Actually, thingsaren’tperfect, Ma.”
“What’s wrong?”
I hesitated. “I can’t tell you everything. But…I wasn’t completely honest about how Juliette and I met.” I paused. “She’s related to a client of mine, and we’ve been hiding our relationship. That’s the most I’m able to say due to…” I paused again. “A non-disclosure agreement I signed.”
That was the most honest I’d been with my mother in a long while.
“Okay…” she said. “So you’re torn between doing the right thing for your career or following your heart?”
Muchmore complicated than that, but she got the gist. “Basically, yes.” I scratched my chin.
“There are always jobs, Wes. But there’s only one Juliette. And if you care about her, then fuck the job. That’s my opinion. Nothing else should matter.”
If only it were that simple.Fuck the job. I chuckled, though, since my mother rarely cussed. Hearing her say that gave me renewed hope that somehow, some way, I could figure this out. I wished I couldfuck this jobstraight to hell.
“She seemed really great,” my mother added. “She makes you smile, which was nice to see.”
“Sheisgreat,” I agreed.
After we hung up, I went back inside and continued to ruminate about whether I’d made a colossal mistake with Juliette. I had a bad feeling I couldn’t shake about how this was going to play out. That’s why every single day we had together mattered. I couldn’t control the future, but I could control her memories of me. I could control today. Today felt safe, and I would cherish every second.
Juliette interrupted my thoughts as she emerged from her room, rubbing her eyes. She stretched her arms and yawned. “I overslept.”
“I sure as hell wasn’t going to wake you.” I winked. “Anyway, it’s my fault. I kept you up late last night.”
