CHAPTER 11

Julie

My nerves were fried by the time I fell into bed on Monday night. The Skype interview went well. My potential boss, Meghan, asked all the right questions, and I gave my best answers. When we said goodbye, I felt confident. As the day dragged on, that confidence faded to nothing. I was left in a puddle of anxiety with no way to calm myself.

The job wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t my dream job by any standards, but it was exactly what I needed right now. The ability to write from home, to maintain an online presence even while living in Ennis, was the best I could possibly hope for. I hated the idea that I might not get the job. As I laid in bed on Monday night, I told myself to relax.

“Whatever happens, happens,” I whispered as I rolled onto my side and squeezed my eyes shut.

Not two minutes later, my phone buzzed beside me. I frowned and grabbed it. Who would be texting me so late at night?

Michael’s name flashed across the screen, accompanied by an unread message notification. I smiled and opened the text.

“Hey you,” it said. “Just thinking about you. Hope your interview went well.”

Warmth fluttered through my chest. I grinned and laid my phone back down. It was too late to respond. I knew if I did, I’d never get to sleep.

Still, Michael stayed in my thoughts as I drifted off. He occupied all my dreams that night, making me wake up the next morning in a much lighter mood. I was still smiling when the sun rose. I still couldn’t believe he’d had this effect on me. I hadn’t been single for that long and here I was, hooking up with someone new. No, it was more than hooking up, wasn’t it? I got out of bed and tried to keep myself busy before I drove myself nuts.

The morning seemed to never end. Meghan said she’d call today, but she didn’t say when. I dreaded the idea of waiting by the phone all day. Instead, I jumped in the shower, made myself some breakfast, got dressed, and went for a walk. I was halfway to the town square when my phone buzzed in my pocket.

My stomach dropped when I saw Meghan’s number on the screen.

“Holy shit,” I said to myself. I shook my head roughly before I answered. “Hello? This is Julie Black.”

“Julie!” Meghan said with enthusiasm. “I’m so glad I caught you this morning.”

“Meghan,” I said. “It’s great to hear from you.”

“Well,” Meghan said. “I have good news. The job is yours if you still want it.”

“Of course!” I said, excitement dripping from my voice. “That’s amazing!”

“I loved talking to you yesterday,” Meghan said. “And the team all really enjoyed your samples. You’re the perfect writer for us, and I can’t wait to see the stories you come up with!”

“Thank you so much,” I said. “I really appreciate this opportunity.”

“It’s our pleasure,” Meghan said. “So, I’ll send over your first assignment later today. We’ll need it emailed to our editors by next Monday at the latest, okay?”

“Perfect,” I said without hesitation.

“Great,” Meghan said. “Talk later.”

“Thanks again!”

We hung up, and I felt lighter than air. Not only did I get the job, but by the end of the day, I’d have my first assignment. Words couldn’t describe how happy I was.

Changing course, I headed back to my house. I suddenly had no desire to take a walk around town or grab a cup of coffee at the café. I just wanted to get home and wait for my assignment to come through. My fingers were practically itching to start typing.

On the way back, I called Andrea to tell her the good news.

She squealed into the phone. “You got it?”

“I freaking got it!” I screamed, not caring that there were other people on the street. “I can’t believe it!”

“I’m on my way,” Andrea said.

“What?” I blinked. “What are you talking about?”

“We have to celebrate!” Andrea said. “And I have the day off. So, I’m coming to town. I’ll see you in an hour.”

Andrea didn’t wait for my response. She just hung up and left me shaking my head in disbelief. Of course, Andrea was going to drive to Ennis. Why wouldn’t she?

She pulled into my driveway just over an hour later. I grinned as I threw open the door and greeted her with a hug.

“I brought sustenance,” Andrea said, holding up a bottle of champagne.

“Should we really be day drinking?” I asked skeptically. “We’re not in college anymore.”

“It’s not day drinking if it’s a celebration,” Andrea said, her tone serious. “Now, where are your glasses?”

I led the way to the kitchen and grabbed two glasses from my top cabinet. We settled on the couch, sipping our champagne and catching up.

I told Andrea all about the job and how excited I was. I thought about mentioning Michael, but I wasn’t sure how well she would take that news. After all, I moved to Ennis to get over my last relationship. Did I really want to admit that I’d already started another one? If that’s even what it was.

Luckily, the subject never came up. After I finished telling Andrea all about the new job, she grew quiet and introspective, two things Andrea was not.

“What’s up with you?” I asked, nudging her leg with my foot. “Drunk already?”

“No.” She shook her head and sighed. “There’s something I should really tell you.”

“Okay.” I sat up straighter. “What is it?”

“I ran into Joshua the other day,” Andrea said. She spoke quickly, spitting the words out before she could change her mind. “At that Starbucks by the hospital. I was there for… Well, it doesn’t really matter. I stopped in to grab some coffee and, boom, there he was.”

“Did you talk to him?” I asked.

Andrea nodded. “He asked about you.”

My stomach did a flip, but it was weaker than I expected. Hearing Joshua’s name used to send me into a spiraling depression. I hated thinking about him. Talking about him had felt like a unique form of torture. Now, it didn’t seem to bother me as much.

“What did you tell him?” I asked.

“Just that you moved,” Andrea said with a shrug. “I said you were doing great, but that you left Dallas.”

“And?” I pressed.

“He was shocked,” Andrea said. “I guess he really had no idea.”

“I told you.” I laughed softly. “He’s not really the type to check Facebook religiously.”

“Still,” Andrea said. “You’d think he would have by now.”

“Nah.” I shook my head. “Residency is too time-consuming, remember?”

“Whatever.” Andrea rolled her eyes. “Anyway, I just thought you should know.”

“Did you tell him where I moved?” I asked nervously. The last thing I needed was for Joshua to suddenly have a change of heart and show up at my doorstep.

“God, no,” Andrea said. “Why the hell would I do that?”

“Just making sure,” I said. “Thanks for telling me.”

Andrea watched me closely as I took another sip of my champagne. I couldn’t have described my mood if I wanted to. I’d been so happy just moments before, and now, I was still happy but reserved. There was something about hearing Joshua’s name, something about knowing he had asked about me, that made me uncomfortable.

“You okay?” Andrea asked.

“Just…” I began. “I don’t know. It’s strange.”

“What is?” Andrea asked.

“I don’t feel sad anymore,” I said. “Before, when someone would mention him, I’d feel this weight on my chest. My eyes would burn, and I would want to cry.”

“And now?”

“It’s a different feeling.” I shrugged. “Less intense.”

“You’re getting over him,” Andrea said wisely. “That’s a good thing.”

“It is, isn’t it?” I smiled, and Andrea nodded encouragingly.

We spent the rest of the day talking about anything but Joshua. My mind turned back to Michael and, by the time Andrea left, I couldn’t stop myself from calling him.

“Julie,” he said when he answered. “I was wondering when I’d hear from you. How was the interview?”

“It was amazing,” I said. “I got the job.”

“Congratulations!” Michael said. “That’s fantastic!”

“Thank you.” I beamed into the phone.

“Tomorrow,” he said simply. “You free?”

“I am,” I said.

“Great. We’ll celebrate then.”