Chapter 35

Julie

Four Months Later

Julie had finished the second huge project she'd been working on and had gotten three more to replace it, each one being from a new client. She'd had to bring in even more interns, and she'd gotten each of them from the same school. As much as she was beginning to kick their asses and make them nervous, both her father and Cody were very proud of her. Add to that the fact that in less than one month, she'd be moving in with and marrying Cody, the love of her life, and her life was amazing. Then add the best thing of all, that less than two months after that, they'd be bringing home their beautiful baby, the one they'd created the very first time they'd been together, and Julie's life was perfect, absolutely perfect.

There was only one enormous heartache to get through before Julie could really look ahead with excitement, and that day had come. It was the anniversary of Jack's death, and Julie knew it would hit each family and crew member in a different way but equally as hard.

For Julie, that day held both sadness and joy, and that made her feel so damn guilty. She'd lost one of her crew, and that was horrible, but she hadn't lost her brother, and that was great. As much as she tried not to think about her brother being right there, so close to losing his life, she couldn't help it. He'd been spared. He'd been saved. He'd made it. He was alive. The second those thoughts would enter her mind, she'd think of Jack and how much he meant to their whole family. She'd think of her brother and how he'd lost his best friend. She'd think of Gracie and how she'd lost her brother. Then she'd think of Josh and Lisa and how they'd lost their son. Then she'd rub her belly, thinking she hadn't even met her child yet and she loved them so much. She couldn't even imagine how Jack's parents felt losing him. It was a vicious circle, the thoughts in her mind.

Instead of having a big family gathering, Jack's parents decided to keep it only the two of them, and Gracie and Gavin of course. So, when Jessie told Julie that morning that she was taking the day off, Julie was surprised, but she took it off too. There was no way she wanted to be working, knowing part of her family, including her brother, would be suffering, even if she wasn't with them. When Julie called to let Cody know, he let her know he was on his way. She told him it wasn't necessary and that he should stay at work, but he wasn't having it, and he was on his way, just as he'd said.

The three of them, along with Jackie, spent the day together. Cody brought lunch when he came, which Julie was grateful for. Then they watched a movie, one of Jack's favorite. They talked about the wedding and ironed out a few of the final details. Then they talked about Jack, and both Julie and Jessie cried before bursting into laughter at the stories they remembered. When it came time for dinner, Cody ordered pizza so neither Julie or Jessie had to cook. Then he set some money on the table and took Jackie to her room to change her and get her ready for bed. Julie watched as her man walked into the other room holding the sweet baby girl, and she couldn't help the tears from coming to her eyes.

“What are you crying for now?” Jessie asked, as tears instantly came to her own eyes as well. “Is it something about Jack?”

“No,” Julie said. “Cody's going to make a great father. I just can't believe we're getting married and becoming parents. I love that man more than I ever thought I could love anyone, and I love our baby even more.”

Julie's hands went right to her belly, and she began rubbing it.

“You're lucky,” Jessie said, as she reached up to wipe her eyes. “You have the best of everything. Hold on tight and never let go. I've been in love once, but it was over before I could even appreciate and enjoy it. I have a beautiful little girl that I love with all my heart. She will never know just how much she means to me. I regret every single day that I didn't have both of them together. You have that, Julie.”

“I do,” Julie said. “What are you going to do when I move out?”

“I don't know,” Jessie answered.

“You could go home,” Julie said.

“No!” Jessie yelled out.

“Why not?” Julie asked. “What's the big deal? There's a hospital right there. You wouldn't have to move in with mom and dad. You could get your own place.”

“That's not going to happen,” Jessie answered. “I just can't.”

“You could always move in with us,” Cody shouted from the other room.

“Oh no,” Jessie said, as she let out a laugh. “There is no way I want to hear the two of you getting it on all the damn time. It's bad enough I hear it here. At least here, I know you're leaving.”

“What?” Julie yelped out. “You do not hear us.”

“Oh, I do,” Jessie said, as she smiled wide. “As hard as I try not to, you don't make it easy.”

Julie knew her face had to be as red as an apple, and her sister confirmed it when she burst out in laughter.

There was a knock at the door, and Jessie hurried to her feet.

“I'll get it,” she said. “We wouldn't want the delivery person to wonder what that face is all about.”

Julie watched, as Jessie grabbed the money from the table, walked to the door, pulled it open, and froze, letting the money she'd been holding fall to the ground.

“Gracie,” Jessie said, as she took a step back into the room. “Where did you get those?”

Julie watched as Gracie stepped forward into view. There were tears running down her face, and she was holding a pile of envelopes in her hands.

“Gracie,” Julie said, as she got to her feet and headed toward her.

“They were in his things,” Gracie whispered, as she looked straight ahead at Jessie, totally ignoring what Julie had just said.

“Whose?” Julie asked.

She looked at her sister to see tears moving down her face as well.

“Did you love him?” Gracie asked, as she reached out to hand the pile to Jessie.

“Did you read them?” Jessie asked, as she took the pile and held it close to her chest.

“Only one,” Gracie said. “When I knew who they were from, I stopped. The last one isn't even open yet.”

“Okay, mommy,” Cody said in a baby voice, as he walked into the room. “I'm all ready for bed.”

Julie heard his last few words trail off, but she didn't look his way, nobody did.

“Did you love my brother?” Gracie asked, as her tears began coming even faster.

“Yes,” Jessie answered, barely above a whisper. “I still do. I love him so much.”

Julie looked back over her shoulder at Cody and Jackie. Then she turned back toward her sister and Gracie.

“I'm so sorry, Gracie,” Jessie said, as she fell to her knees with her arms still wrapped around the pile in her hands and tears pouring down her cheeks. “So damn sorry.”

The End.

Be sure to watch for my next novel - “Drake” (Hunter PI & Security #2).

Please continue on for the Prologue and Chapter 1 of “Working on My Brother's Best Friend”.

Other Stories by Sharon Cummin

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His Assistant Serials

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In Love with My Brother's Best Friend

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Working on My Brother's Best Friend

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Working on My Brother's Best Friend

Prologue

Gabby

I was twenty five when I threw the going away party for my brother Gabe. There were so many things going through my mind. I looked around at all of his friends and then at the one that was leaving with him. That was where my emotions mixed.

I was going to miss my brother more than anything. We were twins and had been close our whole lives. My name was Gabriella, but he called me Gabby. His name was Gabriel, but I called him Gabe. It was the only thing we'd gotten from our parents before they took off. We were raised by my mother's parents. Ours were too young and not ready for two kids. That was what my grandma told me anyway. Gabe and I had been inseparable growing up. He was the life of the party. The man always had a joke for everything. He always found a way to bring a smile to my face no matter what was going on around us. He had my back anytime I needed it, and I would have done anything for him.

Gabe finished college and had decided to move from Michigan to California to start his own business. I was so happy that he was going to be doing what he loved without having to answer to anyone. He'd loved web development and graphics ever since he'd first gotten onto a computer. It was something he was very passionate about. I was more into the financial aspects of business than anything else. He'd offered me a job at his company. I thought about going so I could be close to him. There were only two reasons I declined his offer.

The first reason being our grandparents. They were both having health issues and I was afraid to leave them alone. My grandma begged me to go. She didn't want me to pass up the opportunity of being with Gabe as he started his company. She didn't know they weren't the only reason I'd said no.

The second and biggest reason I stayed behind was named Doug. He was Gabe's best friend and had been our entire lives. Growing up, Doug was it for me. He was my first and only crush. He was the man I thought in my heart I would end up spending my life with. He was the first boy to kiss me. We were sixteen and he left for the summer to stay with his father. I couldn't wait for him to come back. I counted down the days. Something changed in him while he was gone. When he came back, he was different. He was distant with me, and nothing was ever the same again. It didn't change how much I liked him. He was still Doug, and I still knew we were destined to be together. There was nothing the boy could do to make him less than perfect in my eyes. That was what I thought anyway. By the time we graduated high school, he'd proven me wrong. My crush was gone and was replaced with more disgust than I'd felt for anyone else in my life. He'd hurt me, and there was nothing he could have done to take that hurt away.

I'd been able to avoid Doug all through college. I stayed at school even during the summers. It was awesome. Gabe had gone to college close to home, so he'd been with my grandparents. Doug had gone to school with him. We'd all graduated, and I'd come back home. Being around Doug was awful. I'd seen him move from woman to woman those three years. Just seeing his face made my stomach sick.

When Gabe announced that he was starting a company in California, I didn't know what to think. It was going to be hard to be away from him. I'd done it in college, but that wasn't a five hour plane flight away. I was going to miss him so much. It wasn't easy knowing he was leaving. The one thing saving me was knowing Doug was going with him. I knew he'd have someone right there all the way. Doug would always have his back. Gabe was the one person he'd never screw over. That I was sure of. It was me he didn't mind hurting. I knew with Doug across the country, I could move on with my life. I wouldn't have to see women hanging on his every word or hear his disgusting mouth. That was my decision maker. I wanted a life, and with him gone it would be easier. If I never saw him again, it would be perfect. I'd never let anyone make me feel the way he did, not ever again.

Chapter 1

Gabby

I sat in the quiet, cold funeral home looking down at my hands in my lap. Five years had gone by since my brother Gabe had moved to California. If I knew where I'd be just five short years later, I never would have turned down his offer. I would have gone with him. I would have watched him move to success from right by his side. I wouldn't have let anything hold me back. The tears were sliding down my cheeks. I could feel them, but I never moved to dry them. All I had to do was get through one day. Then I'd go back to my apartment and lock myself away from the rest of the world.

Gabe was all I had. He was my twin. He was my family. Both of my grandparents had passed away in the five years he'd been gone. I'd been married and divorced in that time as well. My life was a mess as it was, and I had no idea how I was going to make it without the only person that mattered to me. How could he have done it, I thought? How could he have left me? Didn't he know how much I needed him? He probably didn't. I hadn't told him enough. Even though we talked every couple of days, I hadn't let him know how important he was to me. I'd never gone to visit him either. He'd come to see me every few months. Those were the times that really mattered. He was my brother, and I loved him more than he ever knew.

When I received the call that he'd passed away, I felt the last little piece of life inside of me die with him. I couldn't believe it was true. He was so young and successful. He had his whole life ahead of him. How could a thirty year old lose control of his car? Why wasn't he paying attention? I was so angry and hurt. He knew he was all I had. How could he leave me too? I knew all of my thoughts were selfish, but that didn't stop them from moving through my mind. They said it was an accident, it wasn't his fault. All I knew was that everything that mattered was gone. It should have been me, I thought. I would have given anything to take his place.

I'd told the funeral director that I wanted my brother cremated. That was my only request. Other than that, Doug was to do the planning. I was relieved that Doug had only planned one day. I was sure it was to get back to his life in California, but I didn't care. I wasn't sure I could have sat through two days or a funeral. Just sitting in the same room was too much. I hadn't been able to walk to the front. I'd sat down in the very back of the room, and that was where I stayed. I couldn't see him. I just couldn't say goodbye to him.

I could hear people talking, but I couldn't tell you what they were saying. If Doug hadn't been there, Gabe wouldn't have had a sendoff at all. Doug had a smile on his face as he greeted people. I'd heard them all talking about what a great guy Gabe was. Those people didn't give a shit about him. They were just doing what they felt they were obligated to do. When Doug laughed and talked about my brother being so amazing, I wanted to get up and punch him in the face. Why was he the one that got to see Gabe every day? Why was he the one with all of the memories and stories? Why was he the one that was with my brother through his success? Because I was too big of a wuss, that was why. I should have gone to California. I shouldn't have cared who else was there. That was selfish of me. Look where it left me. I'd lost five years of memories. Gabe was gone, and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it.

I'd done fine for myself. I had a great job at a very successful company. What good was that doing though? I'd never have that time back with Gabe. I had no family left. It was just me against the world.

Tears ran down my cheeks the entire day. I had no idea that it was even possible to cry so much. I hadn't cried that much any other time in my life. I thought I hurt in high school when Doug had crushed my heart. I'd cried when I lost each of my grandparents. None of that even came close to comparing to the loss I was feeling. My brother was gone.

When I felt a hand touch my shoulder, I jumped in my seat. I knew who it was. There was something in his touch. Even after all those years, I still felt a weird jolt when he touched me. I jerked my shoulder away from him and didn't look up. I felt him lean down next to me and shivered.

“I'm sorry, Gabby,” Doug whispered. “If you want to see Gabe, you have to do it now.”

I shook my head no.

“Gabby,” he said with emotion in his voice, as he reached for my chin and moved it so he could see my eyes. “Everyone is gone. You need to see him.”

Our eyes connected, and I could see how hard that day had been on him too. Don't feel sorry for him, I thought. He's the reason you haven't seen Gabe. He's the one with your memories. He doesn't care.

“No,” I snapped.

“Fuck,” he whispered, as he let go of my face and stood.

I looked up through my lashes to see Doug standing at the casket. His hands were on top of my brother's. I watched his shoulders shake. Then I heard his sniffles and saw one hand move up to his eyes. Then I started crying harder. I couldn't take it anymore, I had to get out of there. I couldn't accept that my brother was in that casket. He was gone. The entire time I'd hoped he'd sit up and it would all have been one of his jokes, but he never did it. He was really gone. I looked up one last time to see Doug saying goodbye to Gabe before turning in a daze and moving my feet as fast as I could away from there.

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