Chapter Seventeen
Much to her friends’ and Ray’s frustration, Julia was not good company that night. Unable to stop thinking about her mother’s lie to her, she didn’t resemble at all the smiling woman who loved to play jokes. In her stead, stood an obviously upset redhead that only opened her mouth when necessary, all the while attempting to guess her mother’s motives.
Later on, when she and Ray were finally alone in his bedroom, the same bitterness that had been gnawing away at her soul prevented her from touching him. Julia’s body might have been eagerly anticipating this night, craving him, but her heart and mind were elsewhere. She wasn’t be able to focus, live for the moment. She knew she wouldn’t enjoy this one bit, and had to reject his advances. Once again, Ray showed her some understanding. He didn’t insist, and kissed her “goodnight.”
The following morning was the first day at work for the brothers in weeks, conveniently enough for Julia. Ray would be busy, and she had to go back to New York and pack. Without much fuss, Julia, along with Monica, left Paxton and the world of shifters behind her, in the hope that she would come back, knowing the truth that had been kept secret from her for more than a decade.
“So…” Monica began, as they entered I-87 south. “Have you thought about what you’re going to tell your mother yet?”
“No, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t ask me that question again,” Julia retorted, gripping the steering wheel tighter, “Let’s talk about something else.”
“It is really ironic, if you think about it,” Monica claimed, a humorless smile forming on her face, as she leaned her head back in her seat. “Julia Stinson, the girl who grew up fearful of wildlife is actually the daughter of a shape shifter.”
“I’m human, Mon.” Julia uttered. “Most humans are afraid of anything that could kill them. I’m just part of that majority.”
“I stopped being part of that statistic, when I started learning about wolves,” Monica pointed out. “That’s when I realized we had no reason to fear them. They, on the other hand, have every reason to shiver at the thought of a human.”
“I need to quote Kate on this one. ‘You’re a weird lady,’” Julia teased, turning her head to the right to face her.
“I’m just a little more educated on the matter than you.” Monica countered with a smirk. “But, enough of this. How are things between you and Ray?”
This question was one of the very few that could put a smile on Julia’s face.
“Wonderful,” She admitted, returning her gaze to the road up ahead. “He’s been really supportive. He’s very tender, too. He’s also a lot more mature than I gave him credit for. I mean, when I told him I was leaving last night, I was afraid he’d complain about it, but he didn’t. He took it pretty well. And that kiss? Oh, God, that kiss…” she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. “It had me shaking. I opened my eyes and I saw stars.”
No rebuttal followed Julia’s rant. In her heart, she was desperate for her friend’s opinion, but Monica would not indulge her. She lingered in silence, and turned over onto her left side, staring up at her, with a mischievous smile on her face.
“You have something on your mind. Well, spit it out, you little geek,” Julia inquired, tossing a curious, sideways glance down at her. “Come on. Speak.”
“You’re head over heels in love with him,” Monica commented, pointing up at her. Julia preferred to keep her mouth shut, pondering response. Still, countering that argument would not be easy. She didn’t even want to rebut. Every sign was there. She didn’t need a prophecy to tell her what she felt deep inside. Ray had been haunting her thoughts for weeks. Her physical attraction to him shifted into something much deeper, when he drove her to his brother’s cabin. And, on the night that he rode all the way to New York, just to prove to her that he wasn’t afraid to take a chance, Ray captured her heart. After that, his face gave her butterflies in her stomach, and a relationship with him became her single focus.
“Alright, doc, you got me,.” She admitted, nodding at the same time. “I am in love with him.”
“Three out of three,” Monica said, her eyes glinting with amusement. “Who would have thought?”
“I think we should all write a ‘thank you’ note to your ex.” Julia suggested, raising her eyebrow.
“What for?” Monica asked, as her forehead scrunched up in confusion.
“For dumping you,” Julia explained, as a devilish grin burst upon her lips. At that, Monica tossed her head back, her mouth bursting open, as her chortle of delight rippled across her stomach. “It would go like this:” Julia continued, biting the insides of her cheeks, trying not to laugh. “Dear Tom, thank you for being a loser. You couldn’t appreciate our girl, but someone else could. Now, thanks to you, all three of us have found someone to rely on. Worst regards, Julia Stinson.”
“Oh, my God…” Monica shrieked, her body rocking, as she banged her palm against her forehead. “You need to stop.”
“I’m serious.” Julia claimed, holding in a snort. But, her attempts were futile. The sound of her friend’s hearty laughter was provoking her too much. Julia burst out chuckling, tilting her head back, as her right hand let go of the steering wheel. Putting her fingers over her mouth, she leaned against her seat, as her face flushed with merriment.
“Well…” Monica sighed, tucking a few tendrils of her hair behind her ear. “It’s nice to see you haven’t lost your sense of humor.”
“All jokes aside, if you hadn’t divorced him, none of us would have met them.” Julia assumed a more serious tone.
“Yes, my divorce was a turning point.” Monica agreed. “I’m just glad we all benefited from it.”
“You couldn’t be more right about that, doc,” Julia thought to herself. “I guess I should consider myself ‘lucky.’ I’ve found what I’ve been searching for, and I’m just 26. I miss you already, Ray.”