Page 73 of The Beat of My Heart

Julia: Oh no you don’t. I’ve tried the one-night stand. It didn’t end so well for me.

Trevor: Now you have to tell…

Julia: Forget it. My one and only one-night stand is off-limits. What about you? Tell me about your conquests.

Trevor: I’m offended you think I’m that kind of guy, Jules. Only one one-night stand for me too, and the damn girl broke my heart. Not looking for one of those again. Hence, the blue balls.

Julia: I know the feeling.

Trevor: Send me a picture.

Laughing my ass off, I Google a gif for an extremely large gorilla who had just nursed a baby. The nipples alone need their own zip code.

Julia: (GIF sent)

Trevor: Jesus Christ, Jules. Not cool. Not cool at all. But since you started this, here you go. (Big donkey dick GIF sent)

Julia: I just threw up a little.

Trevor: Then we’re even.

* * *

6 months later

I’m sittingon the floor with Charlie while he plays with some blocks when I realize for the first time just how sad I’ve been lately. Charlie is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I love him dearly. I just can’t help crying for all he’ll never have—all he’ll never know. This little boy, with the eyes of his father, watches me cry for the man I’ll never know.

“Ah, child,” I hear GG say from my doorway.

“Jesus, I need to start locking that door,” I say through a hiccup.

Making her way to me, she sits next to us, pulling me into her boney shoulder. “It’ll get easier, Jules.”

Wiping my tears, I ask, “What will?”

“Pretendin’ to be happy,” GG says knowingly as a sob escapes. “Tell me ‘bout him, love,” she says.

I could lie, pretend I don’t know who she is referring to, but GG has been around this block one too many times. And honestly? I’m tired of fighting it. Sitting on the floor, with Charlie in my lap and GG to my side, I tell them both about the man I could have loved.

Sometime later, my tears have dried, I’ve placed Charlie in his crib for the night, and I find GG sitting on the couch with a bottle of wine. “You know, you don’t have to babysit me? I’ll be fine,” I tell her.

“Mhm, I know ya will,” she says, handing me a glass. “I told you this will be your year, young lady, and I meant it. It’s in the cards.”

“Right. The cards,” I say, rolling my eyes. “I can just picture you now at The Convenient One, reading peoples’ fortunes.”

“Ya know it,” GG says with a grin. “I think this move will be good for you.”

Since I really had nothing holding me here and we found out recently that Lanie was pregnant, I decided to follow my best friend to North Carolina. My parents have a beach house there that they are planning on retiring to, so eventually, we’ll all be down there.

“You sure you don’t want to come with us, GG?” I ask, smiling, knowing there’s not a chance in hell we’ll get her off this mountain any time soon.

“Hell no, ya kidding me? I’d melt in that southern heat. I’m not cut out for it, ya know?” she says.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. You’re a year-round mountain girl,” I tell her.

“Damn straight. I know it’s been hard on you, Jules. Watching Lanie fall in love when your own heart’s so shattered, but I want you to know I’m damn proud of you.”

What the hell is this?GG isn’t sentimental.