Page 11

Jules

“ T hank you so much, Grandpa.” With a smile, I run my fingers over the heart-shaped locket in my hand. “You didn’t have to get me anything, though.” Opening it, I smile down at the images of my parents inside.

Christmas morning was my favorite growing up, and it absolutely warms my heart that my grandfather did everything he could to make my first one back special.

He doesn’t even realize that, just by being here, it’s special.

“You deserve it and more, my fighter.”

I glance over at Odie. His expression is unreadable, but I imagine he’s not happy being at a rehab facility on Christmas morning.

Not many people would be.

“Here is yours, Odie,” Grandfather says as he offers Odie a pristinely wrapped package.

Odie forces a smile and unwraps it, revealing a custom leather-bound journal inside. “This is great, Grandpa. Thanks so much.”

“You’re welcome. You’re always writing in your other one, so I figured it was getting low on space.” He chuckles, green eyes twinkling with joy. “I want both of you to have everything you need.”

“Thank you.” I smile and take his wrinkled hand in mine. Sitting here with him makes me feel strong enough to fight these demons plaguing me. And for a moment—one beautiful, blissful moment—I feel normal.

Riley’s family is so wonderful it makes my heart hurt.

His brother Bradyn sits beside his gorgeous wife, Kennedy, across from me. Nova, a red-headed beauty herself, sits beside Riley’s other brother, Elliot. The two women haven’t stopped smiling and talking since they arrived.

Lani is on my right, joining in on the happy conversation, while Riley sits to my left. Tucker, one of the twins, is on the other side of Riley, with Dylan sitting across from him. All while Mr. and Mrs. Hunt are at the ends of the table, the centerfold of their family.

My parents were the same way. A knot tightens in my chest, so I press the heel of my palm against it and rub.

Family was always so important to my grandfather. He was heartbroken when my mom died but so happy when my dad met Odie’s mom. I can still remember him telling me how lucky I was to have a brother.

And, for a time, I felt lucky.

But then I realized that I may have gained a brother, but I lost my mother. The woman who carried me through birth. I’d felt so guilty over being happy that I shut myself down from feeling anything.

Which didn’t help my relationship with my brother. It also didn’t help that he was struggling too, and I was the same thing to him: a sister gained through the loss of a parent.

“So, Jules, what was it like growing up alongside celebrities?” Lani’s question jerks me back to the present.

“Oh, uh, it was interesting, I guess,” I reply with a forced smile. The truth is far more sinister. Being overly sexualized from a young age. Having reporters say how ‘womanlike’ I was looking from the time I was thirteen.

I hated every minute of it.

So much so that I took what I thought was a golden opportunity to escape it but landed myself in the belly of a beast.

“Did you ever attend any of those award shows?” she asks.

“A few of them.” I turn to Mrs. Hunt. “This roast is delicious.”

“Thank you, honey. I’m so glad you’re enjoying it.”

So far, no one here has looked at me like I’m lesser than. Which has been truly nice, especially considering the fact that I imagine they all know about my past. About the mistakes that brought me here to this table.

“What do you like to do for fun?” Kennedy asks.

“I enjoy reading,” I reply. “And certain board games. I got really good at them when—” I trail off because when I was in rehab doesn’t seem like great dinner conversation. “Whenever I was stuck inside for a long time.”

“Riles here has been a bookworm since he was five,” Tucker says, gripping his brother’s shoulder.

“I could tell when I saw his wall of books.”

Mrs. Hunt laughs. “I couldn’t keep a book out of his hand. The boy was reading by the time he was five.”

“That’s impressive,” I reply, eyeing the man beside me.

He shrugs and takes another bite.

“So reading and board games,” Kennedy says. “Maybe we need to have a game night? Just us girls,” she finishes. “The guys get too competitive.”

“We do not,” Tucker replies, feigning offense.

“The last time we played Catan, you literally built so many roads that no one could put houses anywhere,” Lani says. “And don’t even get me started on the Monopoly debacle.”

“Isn’t the point of playing games to win?” he asks. “Building roads is a strategy.”

“Sure. If you’re not purposely building them in the direction of Dylan just to see how mad you can make him.”

Tucker grins, and it lifts my mood just a bit. The easy banter is something I never had with Odie. Not once. Is this what it is like to grow up as siblings? From infancy to adulthood? “I still call it strategy.”

“Call it what you want, but you guys are not invited to girls’ game night,” Nova says. “What do you say, Jules? You interested?”

I really don’t want to. Not because I don’t think it would be fun but because the last thing I need is to get close to these women, only for them to find out something about me they don’t like and shut me out.

However, since it would be rude, I nod and force a smile. “Sure, I think that would be fun.”

“Great. We’ll get something set up. Are you done, honey?” Kennedy asks, gesturing to Bradyn’s plate.

“I am. But I can get it.”

“Nope. Already up.” She sticks her tongue out at him then takes her plate and Bradyn’s. “How about you?”

“Not yet, thanks,” I lie because I don’t want her to take my plate. I can carry my own in, which I absolutely intend to do as soon as enough time has passed and it’s not obvious why I turned her offer down.

Elliot takes his and Nova’s plates while Tucker collects everyone’s but mine. Soon, it’s just me and Riley sitting at the table.

After a few silent minutes of me not touching my plate, Riley stands and takes it without asking.

“Hey! I wasn’t done.”

“Yes, you were. You were just too stubborn to let anyone take care of it for you.”

The fact that he reads me so easily really angers me. “You don’t know me that well.”

He rinses my plate then sticks it in the dishwasher before turning to face me.

All of the Hunts—except for him—are in the living room.

I can hear them laughing and enjoying each other’s company.

“I know you well enough. For example, right now, you’re trying to figure out the best way to get me to go home so you don’t have to be here anymore. ”

He’s right.

I’ve been trying to escape since we walked in.

“What I can’t figure out, though, is why. My family was nothing but inviting to you. So, are you worn out? Do you just not like people in general? Or are we just not high-class enough for you?”

I glare at him. “It’s all a facade anyway, so what does it matter?”

“Facade?” he questions. “What exactly do you mean by that?”

His tone is low, dangerous even. And I see the offense he took from my statement written all over his face. I should feel bad. After all, he’s right—they all welcomed me. But I know all too well how quickly an invitation can turn into a cold shoulder.

“Look, I’m just tired, okay?”

He glares at me, blue-green gaze narrowed in a way that makes me feel like the only person on the planet—and not in a good way. “Fine. Then let’s leave.” He uncrosses his arms and pushes off the counter before heading into the living room.

By the time I’ve gotten up and into the living room, Riley is all smiles again as he says goodbye to his family. “Thanks again, Mom, dinner was great.”

“Anytime, honey.” She smiles at him then turns to me. “I do hope to see you again, Jules.”

“Maybe,” I reply. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be staying with Riley.”

“Well, if you get bored sitting at his house, you’re more than welcome to come here.” She smiles, though she doesn’t come in for a hug. Something I more than appreciate since I am not a fan of being touched.

At all.

In fact, it’s a recurring nightmare of mine. One that was my reality in what feels like yesterday even though it might as well have been lifetimes ago.

“Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.” I smile and offer a wave at the rest of the family before following Riley out onto the porch. His dog, Romeo, is lying on the porch alongside four other dogs his same size.

“ Hier , Romeo,” he calls, patting his leg. The other dogs simply raise their heads, but Romeo is the only one who gets up.

Fascinating. Well-behaved dogs, that’s for sure.

The drive back to Riley’s house is a silent one, with only the sound of music playing softly through the speakers. But even as it’s silent, I can feel him simmering in the seat beside me.

He puts the truck into Park in front of his house then gets out and rushes around to open my door. When he offers me his hand, I take it, just as I did when we arrived at his parents. Because touching his hand is a lot less stressful than feeling his hard body against mine when I inevitably fall.

“Thanks.”

He doesn’t respond as he heads up his porch and unlocks the door. After flipping on the lights, he heads straight into the kitchen to grab a bottle of tea from the refrigerator.

“Look, I didn’t mean to offend you.” The words just slip out, but I can’t help the frustration I feel, knowing things are tense right now.

“You didn’t offend me,” he replies. “I know my family can be a lot. You’ve had a stressful couple of weeks, and having you go to my parents’ for dinner was probably a mistake.”

I swallow hard. He’s not going to tell me what a disappointment I am?

“You’re not mad?” Odie would have been furious. The last time he and my grandfather dragged me out to a party I didn’t want to be at, I’d sat in the corner and read—then Odie berated me for not being social enough the moment we were alone.

“I was,” he says. “But not about you wanting to leave.”

“Then what was it?”

“Your facade comment. What exactly did you mean by that?”

I take a deep breath and consider how to word it in a way that doesn’t reveal too much. “When people learn about my past, they tend to shut me out. It’s happened in every friendship I’ve had over the last decade.”

“When they find out what?”

“You know what,” I snap.

“That you’re a recovering alcoholic?”

“That and other things,” I reply. “Things I refuse to get into.” I add the latter because I need him to know this isn’t ‘interview Jules night.’ I have no intention of opening that particular can of worms—ever.

“Everyone has things in their past they’re not crazy about. But you will never find a less judgmental family than mine.”

“Everyone thinks that.”

“It’s the truth in my case. We were all raised not to pass judgment. It’s not our place as we’re all guilty of sin in our past and present. So I’ll repeat myself… You will never find a less judgmental family than mine.”

“Guilty of sin. So you’re Christian then?”

“Yes.”

“My grandfather was a Christian.”

“You’re not?”

“I’m—seeking.”

He nods but doesn’t say anything. “I need a shower. It’s been a long day.”

“Don’t let me hold you up.”

He turns to leave then pauses a moment before turning back toward me. “For the record, your brother was way out of line earlier.”

“Not that out of line,” I reply. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes, Mr. Hunt. You don’t even know the half of them.”

“So has he,” he replies then turns and leaves the room without saying another word.

Romeo trots over to where I’m standing and sits down in front of me, so I reach down and absently pet his head. “You won’t ever judge me, right, boy? No, you won’t.” I smile down at the animal. “You might be the only one.”