I let out a laugh, grabbing two mugs for us. “You definitely don’t have to do that. I don’t need the space, especially since…” I trailed off, not wanting to finish that sentence. Instead, I switched thoughts. “Especially since I’m doing laundry right now. I’ll fold everything and keep it in my suitcase.” I cringed. That wasn’t much better. Both were reminders of the inevitable.
Wes huffed, taking the mugs from me. He poured a heavy dose of my favorite caramel creamer into my mug and filled the rest with coffee.
“You won’t be doing that. Keeping your clothes in your suitcase, I mean. I’ll clean out some of the closet for you and a drawer or two. Just until…” Wes paused, before starting to ramble. “Well, if you need more space or less…” He cleared his throat. “What I’m trying to say is we’ll figure it out. But I’m going to start by making some extra space for you.”
I brought the mug up to my lips to hide my smile. I had never heard Wes ramble before, and it was incredibly endearing. “A drawer or two sounds nice.”
“And some of the closet,” he reminded me with a grunt.
“Right, of course.” I smiled again.
He gestured with his head over to the back deck, and I followed him. We enjoyed drinking our morning coffee out on the back deck—the same spot where we watched the fireworks—when we had some extra time.
We both wanted to focus on the now. Living in the moment and all that. But had he thought about what it would mean if I stayed? I glanced over at him, watching as he took in the view of the lake. He looked so comfortable here, like he was exactly where he was supposed to be.
For the first time in my life, I felt like I belonged—in Golden Falls and in Wes’s life.
But I’d worked so hard this summer to put myself first and figure out what I wanted out of my career, out of life.
Would I be failing if I stayed?
40
JULIETTE
August
“Hey, Grant, what’s up?” I used my shoulder to hold my phone to my ear as I sifted through the hangers in my closet—well, Wesley’s closet that had my clothes. He had, of course, made good on his promise, and within a few days, I had way more space than I needed. I let out a frustrated huff when I realized the outfit I wanted for tonight was over at the cabin.
“Jules, did you hear me?”
“Sorry, I got distracted,” I admitted, closing the closet door and grabbing my phone with my hand. “What were you saying?” I could practically hear him rolling his eyes on the other end.
“I wanted to check in. Haven’t heard from you in a while, and I tried to FaceTime you earlier, but it must’ve not gone through.”
“Oh, weird. Yeah, it must’ve not gone through.”
It did go through. I had declined the FaceTime, because while Grant didn’t know exactly what the cabin looked like, he would know I wasn’t there. Then he would ask me where I was, and the last thing I wanted to explain was how I had been spending nights over at my neighbor’s house. A neighbor who I was quickly falling for.
Grant wasn’t overprotective like some brothers were, but I remembered his concern when I told him I was heading to Golden Falls. I knew he wouldn’t think getting involved with Wesley was a good idea, and I didn’t need that lecture right now.
So, a phone call was safer.
“And if you paid attention to the family group chat, you’d see my updates,” I added. “I’ve been sending photos all summer of what I’ve been up to and my various projects. Mom and Dad have been loving them.”
“You don’t even want to see the number of unread texts on my phone. There’s no way I saw any of those. If you ever need to get a hold of me, it’s best to call.”
I rolled my eyes. “Okay, Mr. Ancient. Didn’t realize you didn’t know how texting worked.”
“It’s not that I don’t know.”
“Keep telling yourself that.”
“God, you’re annoying sometimes.”
“You’re the one who called me!” I exclaimed.
“Right,” he sighed. “So, about your apartment. With all the shit going on with your landlord, I easily got you out of your lease. Everything is still in your storage unit. But I don’t know how quickly you’ll be able to find a new place. Apartments and condos, especially ones that don’t cost an arm and a leg, are renting quickly. I recommend looking now and trying to get that figured out if you’re trying to move in early September. I can ask around, too. That’s still your plan, right? Or were you leaving at the end of the month?”
