Chapter 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.
Lincoln has decided to throw me a big party to commemorate the occasion.
When he told me he had rented out the old Fairy Bush town hall for the entire day, I told him he was doing too much.
I’m not used to people making such a big fuss over me.
But now that we’re here, I can admit that it’s actually kind of perfect.
The place is all high ceilings and old fashion light fixtures and squeaky hardwood floors, balloons and streamers everywhere.
Even though he warned me in advance of putting this together—he knows I hate surprises—I really hadn't expected it to come this big.
Lincoln’s family is all here. His mom and his brothers and their plus-ones.
All of his new business associates and their wives also made it.
While I could go another few years without having to hear those pompous men speak, it’s been really nice to catch up with the women.
Carol is thinking about getting back into nursing.
Greta finally put her first few products out in her Etsy candle shop. I’m proud of them.
My mom is here, too. But not my father. He’s clearly skipped out on my big day—surprise, surprise. Can’t say I blame the guy? Why would he want to celebrate the day I took my first breath and blew up his perfect little world?
Unfortunately, Hilary, my other half-sisters and some of my cousins showed up. They’re lurking in the corner, watching me like the vultures they are, ready to swoop in and devour their prey.
Ugh. Why are they even here? How did they find out about this party? It's like they have my phone bugged or something.
Scanning the room, I watch everyone enjoying themselves as they eat, drink, and gossip. I will myself to relax.
It’s a party. I like to party. I should be enjoying myself, too.
Especially after Lincoln was sweet enough to go through all this trouble and invite all my friends. But I can’t shake the nerves.
Speaking of my hot AF husband, I feel him before I see him.
“Relax,” Lincoln whispers in my ear, sending chills down my arms as he hugs me from behind. “Everything is going to be great.”
“I can’t get my mind to stop spinning,” I murmur, leaning back against his chest.
His palms rub up and down my biceps. “Just focus on the cake I got for you for later. It’s about to be your new favorite.”
I can’t help but smile at Lincoln’s attempts to help me feel better. I’ve heard a lot about this special strawberry cake he ordered for today. “Okay, but if this goes sideways, I’m going to hide in the supply closet and you’ll have to bring me a slice.”
“Pinky promise.” He locks his little finger around mine, kissing my cheek. I draw his arms tighter around me for just a second, soaking up the solid strength of his body.
I wish I could just hit ‘pause’ on the world, and stay like this with him forever. But just then, I hear commotion at the entrance to the venue.
I look up to see Great-Grandma in a beaded royal blue dress, arriving late with Martha and Humphrey in tow.
Hand clasped tightly in Humphrey’s protective grip, Great-Grandma teeters up the steps and floats inside the party. She takes her sweet time, uncaring that everyone is waiting on her arrival. I smile at this kick-ass quality I wholeheartedly admire in her.
I rush over to greet her. “Great-Grandma. You came.” My eyes flit over the elderly lady, then her entourage. “And don’t you all look dapper!”
Martha wears a modest floral dress with her hair in a neat bun. Meanwhile Humphrey wears an important-looking blue suit. I’ve got to admit—Great-Grandma’s house staff clean up really nice.
"Julissa, my dear. Happy birthday,” she says, with a kind smile.
“Thank you, Great Grandma,” I whisper as she gently cups my cheek.
And for some reason, all the apprehension I was feeling dissipates. For a second, I forget about the evening’s high stakes. The little girl inside me is just happy that this woman—who’s approval I crave so much—took the time to come to my birthday party.
“Can I get you something? A drink maybe?” I ask, eager to please.
Her eyes twinkle over at the dance floor before she throws Humphrey a quick sidelong glance. “Perhaps a bit later, dear. For now, I’d like to dance while my knees haven’t started aching yet.”
That’s all she has to say. Humphrey is already ushering her away to where the other couples are swaying to a Bruno Mars song.
I feel Lincoln’s hand at the small of my back.
His gaze sweeps up and down the low-cut black dress I’m wearing.
He leans down by my ear. “You look incredible in that dress, baby. You’ve got me aching worse than your great-grandmother’s sore knees.
Do I get a dance with the prettiest girl in the room? ”
Chuckling, I lace my fingers through his, already walking towards the center of the room. “Only if you promise to tell me exactly which part of you is aching. Maybe you can let me kiss it better later tonight.”
He hisses through his teeth. “You’ve got yourself a deal, Mrs. Raines.”
Mrs. Raines. My chest tightens as I wonder if I’ll ever get to hear him call me that again. But I push my worry aside and decide to focus on enjoying myself.
My guests all have a ball of a time. Everyone takes a spin on the dance floor. We eat. We drink. We laugh.
I lose track of time. More importantly, I lose track of my anxiety as the people I love most in this world celebrate my existence. It’s one heck of a party.
Things like this don’t happen for girls like me. I’m not used to being the center of the celebration, the object of affection. But it seems like the tide has turned ever since I let Lincoln Raines into my life.
I don’t know how many hours have passed when the DJ cuts the music and calls me forward, handing my great-grandmother the microphone.
My breath catches when I notice the small, official-looking envelope clasped between her wrinkled, bejeweled fingers as she stands on the stage at the front of the room.
This is it.
This is my future.
A legacy for my mom and me. A little retribution for what we’ve had to endure at my father’s cheating hands.
My heart pounds out of my chest as Great-Grandma draws near and takes my hand in hers.
“My dear Julissa Mei. Twenty-seven years ago, the moment I laid eyes on you, a feisty, stubborn little thing, I immediately knew you had fire and goodness in you. And now, seeing you settled and married to such a fine young man…” Great Grandma’s hand—the one holding the big check—starts to reach out toward me.
But before she’s able to finish her sentence, there’s a loud screech from my sisters’ corner of the room.
“Wait! Stop!” I hear Hilary yelling over and over as she charges in our direction, a troubling feat in her five-inch heels.
“What kind of nonsense is this?” Great-Grandma’s face is pinched, her annoyance evident at the interruption. “I’m in the middle of something here. You are being quite disrespectful, young la—”
“But, look!” My half-sister dramatically shoves two crinkled sheets of paper in Great-Grandma’s face. The pages are riddled with lines and wrinkles like it’s been folded, unfolded, and refolded many times. Like it’s been crinkled and shoved inside a purs—
I gasp, suddenly recognizing that document.
No.
There’s no way!
How?
How did Hilary get her hands on that? I had it safely tucked away inside my purse for weeks. Until…until it was just…gone.
Out of nowhere, I get a vision of Hilary handing me my ‘missing’ purse on the day I was picking out my wedding dress. I get a vision of the smirk she’d worn on her face in that moment.
That sneaky, conniving bitch! She stole my purse just to find dirt on me. And she found my marriage contract.
And now, she’s going to use it to ruin my life.
Hilary grins triumphantly as my world crumbles around me.
“Look! This marriage is a complete fraud!” She waves the paper in the air.
“This contract says it all. It was a total act of deception, not a wedding! Look, Great-Grandma! Those fraudsters will get divorced as soon as the trust fund hits Julissa’s bank account. It's all right here!”
The room grows pin-drop silent.