32. Jules
THIRTY-TWO
JULES
September rolls in raining and it matches my mood perfectly because I’ve been feeling off ever since we returned from Nantucket.
It could also be that summer is once again fading away before I’ve had the chance to fully enjoy it.
Or it could be the fact that I was right and now that Drew has a whole group of people around him, I’m ancient history.
He’s ignoring me. We no longer have coffee in the morning. We don’t talk, we don’t eat together, we don’t watch movies together. We don’t even take Bailey on a walk together any more. He purposely takes her out when I’m busy or not around.
It hurts to return to a secondary character after being the main character for so long.
“Jules, you haven’t told me, how was the wedding?”
I pause mid-bite and look at Aunt Constance across the table. Her eyes sparkle with interest. Everyone turns to me expectantly and I feel myself flush under their attention.
“It was great. Really great. The grooms looked very happy and in love. The venue was beautiful,” I say.
“Weddings are always so exciting,” Aunt Constance says. “Did anything interesting happen?”
“Not everyone runs away from their wedding, Constance,” Roman says, his mouth lifting up into a smirk as he looks at Lavinia.
“You’re lucky I ran away,” she says.
“He’s right, no one ran away,” I say.
Aunt Constance’s eyes shift between me and Drew. I know she’s trying to figure out if something happened between us or if something is currently happening. Well, she should prepare to be disappointed because according to Drew, that’d be a bad idea.
The problem is, he’s probably not wrong. Doing anything with my best friend’s brother is a bad idea. If we break up, which let’s be honest, is a possibility, I’ll lose this wonderful family that has accepted me.
I know he’s right. It doesn’t take away the sting of rejection. This is the second time in my life I’ve been rejected by Drew and I still somehow keep thinking about him. What’s wrong with me?
“Jules, is everything okay?” The question comes from Dr. Callahan. I look at her, and as I do, I feel Drew’s eyes on the side of my face.
“Everything is fine,” I reply, nodding.
“You seem so quiet.” Dr. Callahan’s green eyes are concerned as they move over my face.
“I think the weather is putting me out. We haven’t seen the sun in almost a week,” I say. “And it doesn’t help that VMC might fire us.”
“Why’s that?” Mr. Callahan asks, looking between me and Lavinia.
Vin sighs, rolling her eyes. “I told you that’s not going to happen. VMC wants us to do more face content when we’ve already said no. Minhye thinks they’ll move on without us.”
“Which is a delicate way of saying fired,” I say. “I’ve never been fired before.”
“And we won’t be fired now,” Vin says, confidently.
“You held onto the title and concept rights, correct?” Gran asks.
“We did, which is why I’m saying we’ll be fine,” Vin replies.
The conversation moves from there and I sigh with relief that I’m not the focus of attention anymore. At least, not for the rest of the family. I feel Drew looking at me, his gaze burning into the side of my face.
“Is something wrong?”
The question comes as soon as we arrive home. I walk to the kitchen and put the containers of leftovers in the fridge. There’s a part of me that wants to put them wherever I want and let him find them so he’s a little irked when he has to rearrange everything.
I want to be petty. Instead, I do the right thing and stack the containers in the right place and the right way because I’m also pathetic and I don’t want this small thing to bother him.
I’m a fool. I’m a foolish fool and I should probably move out so I don’t make myself crazier than I already am.
“Jules?”
I turn to face him. Drew is standing in the middle of the kitchen, his arms crossed.
“Bailey probably needs to be let out,” I say. At her name, Bailey comes trotting into the kitchen and butts her head against my hand. I lean down to pet and kiss her before opening the backyard door so she can go outside.
The rain has stopped and there’s a cool breeze that indicates fall will be here sooner than we expect. I step out onto the deck. If I think Drew will get the hint and leave me alone, he doesn’t. He turns on the lights strung along the awning, casting a soft, romantic glow over everything.
“Are you seriously not going to answer my question and hope I go away?” Drew says.
“Are you going to get the hint and do it?” I cross my arms, staring out into the yard.
Drew hooks his fingers into the belt loop of my jeans and tugs me a little closer. Ugh, he needs to stop doing that because it makes me melt each time he does.
“Why are you mad at me?”
I glance up at him and he looks absolutely pathetic. He’s almost pouting. My heart thaws a little more.
“I’m not mad,” I say.
“I haven’t said or done anything in the last few days to upset you,” he says.
He’s pathetic and I might be into it, strangely enough. Let’s be honest, I’m suddenly into a lot of things about Drew Callahan even if being attracted to him breaks my very first rule of dating--never, ever date an athlete.
Been there, done that, still have the trauma to show for it.
“I think I’m going to move in with Lavinia,” I say.
Drew blinks, his face devoid of all emotion.
As he goes to pull his finger out of my belt loop, it brushes against the sliver of skin that’s exposed about my waist band because my top has ridden up.
I feel that single millisecond of touch everywhere in my body.
It’s been a very long time since I’ve allowed someone to touch me like this.
The only person who really ever gets that close is Lavinia.
“I thought we discussed you staying here because moving again doesn’t make sense,” he says.
“You obviously don’t want me to stay here,” I respond.
Bailey finishes her business and comes back to the deck, flopping down on her bed to watch us.
Drew frowns at me. “When did I say that?”
Of course, like a typical man he’s going to pretend that I’m the crazy person.
“Your behavior over the last few weeks has proven it. Which, by the way, now makes it twice that you’ve rejected me.”
I hadn’t meant to say that last bit out loud but I’m on a roll here. I’m going to lay out all my grievances and if he has a problem with it, well then I’ll tonight.
Drew exhales, opening his mouth and closing it. “Juliet, are you talking about that night?”
The emphasis tells me he knows exactly which night I’m talking about. I nod once.
“You mean, the night after you found out your aunt, the woman who raised you, died in a horrible accident and you were inconsolable with tears? That’s the night I rejected you?” He looks at me in disbelief.
I squirm under his gaze. “Okay, admittedly, not the best time to try to kiss you.”
“No, definitely not.”
“But you still rejected me,” I say.
“I was never going to kiss you after you’d been through something so traumatic. You were just seeking a momentary escape, but it wasn’t the right time.”
I roll my eyes. I get what he’s saying. Looking back, I appreciate that he didn’t take advantage of me while I was at my most vulnerable, not even when I threw myself at him. It’s what happened after which still bugs me.
“When would have been the right time, Drew? Because you pretended like it never even happened, even after I waited for you to say something to me. Now, you think it’s a bad idea for me to stay here even after this summer so I don’t think I should stay. I thought…”
I trail off, my cheeks heating as I look away from him. I don’t want to admit that I thought maybe we can be more than friends.
“Fuck it,” Drew growls, shifting closer until the distance between us is gone. “Tell me I can kiss you.”
I look at him in surprise, my mouth parting on a gasp. There’s a desperate look in his eyes as he stares at my mouth.
“I…” I have no words.
Drew’s eyes shift to mine, softening slightly but never losing the desperate hunger. “I don’t want to kiss you without your permission. Tell me I can. Please, Juliet.”
My heart floods with emotion and I swallow the lump in my throat, nodding once. “Yes.”
With an exhale of relief, his mouth descends on mine and all thoughts fly out of my mind except Drew Callahan is kissing me.
DREW CALLAHAN IS KISSING ME!!
His mouth is soft at first, tentative. Each touch is electric, sparks shooting down my spine and rewiring my biology, chemistry, physics. There was Juliet before Andrew’s kiss and there will be a new one after.
I moan softly, reaching out and fisting my hands into his shirt to bring him closer. It seems to unlock something in him. Drew grips my waist, fingers digging in, pulling me even closer. My body presses against his with no room between us as our mouths move together in a frantic rhythm.
He tastes like chocolate and wine and I want to lose myself in him. How can a kiss make me feel like every cell in my body is being realigned? Like pieces of him are being joined into pieces of me, forever becoming a part of who I am.
I never want to stop kissing him.
We pull back with a jump when Bailey butts her head between our legs. We look down, laughing lightly. Drew crouches down to pet her and I kneel beside him, running a hand over Bailey’s back. Our hands brush and Drew looks at me, his eyes light and bright.
“Exactly how long have you wanted to do that?” I ask, still a little breathless.
“It might be the first night in New York,” he says, his mouth tilting up into a devastating grin. “It might be the night you moaned my name in your sleep.”
I squeal in embarrassment, covering my face with my hands. “You heard that?!”
His fingers wrap around my wrist softly as he tugs. “Don’t be embarrassed. I’m flattered, really. I’ve been told I’m irresistible so I don’t blame you.”
I lower my hands, looking at him flatly. “Whoever told you that obviously lied. I’ve been resisting you for years.”
Drew leans forward, lips brushing my lips in a barely there kiss. Why does each time he touches me feel like I’ve been electrocuted? He pulls back, his eyes heated, and my body automatically follows him before my brain can stop.
Drew chuckles lightly. “I can see how you resist me.”
I stand up in a huff, holding back my pout. “Fine, then go kiss someone else.”
He laughs again and Bailey barks as if she’s taking his side. Like father, like daughter.
I walk into the kitchen and I have half a mind to lock the patio door behind me but I don’t because of Bailey. I don’t want her to stay outside in the cold and wet because of her father’s fault.
“Jules, wait,” Drew calls.
I stop in the kitchen, crossing my arms and refusing to look at him. He steps in front of me, a small, indulgent smile on his face. Slowly, he reaches out and cups my cheek.
“I’m pretty sure there’s a law against being mad at someone you’ve shared the best kiss of your life with,” he says softly.
“Who says it was the best kiss of my life?” I ask, tilting my head.
It was, but I don’t want him to know that yet. It’s my responsibility to keep his ego in check.
Drew’s eyes drop to my lips as his thumb brushes against the bottom one. “When you lie, it just makes me want to kiss you harder.”
“I’m not lying,” I say, stepping closer and bridging the gap between us.
“You were already moaning my name before we even kissed and you’re telling me the kiss was subpar, at best? You were about to rip my shirt off with the way you grabbed it.” His smile is blinding.
“Do you really expect me to believe you don’t find me utterly irresistible?” he asks.
“You’re the one who begged to kiss me,” I remind him.
His eyes sear me as they lift to mine. “And I’ll do it again if you want me to. Because I do think you’re irresistible.”
And I’m melting. I’m a puddle on the floor and I’m not sure I want to be put back together. I lean forward, tilting my head as my lips collide with his. Kissing him is going to be my new favorite activity, I already know it.