Page 44 of The Summer for Us (Golden Falls #1)

JULIETTE

August

“Hey, Grant, what’s up?” I used my shoulder to hold my phone to my ear as I sifted through the hangers in my closet—well, Wesley’s closet that had my clothes.

He had, of course, made good on his promise, and within a few days, I had way more space than I needed.

I let out a frustrated huff when I realized the outfit I wanted for tonight was over at the cabin.

“Jules, did you hear me?”

“Sorry, I got distracted,” I admitted, closing the closet door and grabbing my phone with my hand. “What were you saying?” I could practically hear him rolling his eyes on the other end.

“I wanted to check in. Haven’t heard from you in a while, and I tried to FaceTime you earlier, but it must’ve not gone through.”

“Oh, weird. Yeah, it must’ve not gone through.”

It did go through. I had declined the FaceTime, because while Grant didn’t know exactly what the cabin looked like, he would know I wasn’t there.

Then he would ask me where I was, and the last thing I wanted to explain was how I had been spending nights over at my neighbor’s house.

A neighbor who I was quickly falling for.

Grant wasn’t overprotective like some brothers were, but I remembered his concern when I told him I was heading to Golden Falls. I knew he wouldn’t think getting involved with Wesley was a good idea, and I didn’t need that lecture right now.

So, a phone call was safer.

“And if you paid attention to the family group chat, you’d see my updates,” I added. “I’ve been sending photos all summer of what I’ve been up to and my various projects. Mom and Dad have been loving them.”

“You don’t even want to see the number of unread texts on my phone. There’s no way I saw any of those. If you ever need to get a hold of me, it’s best to call.”

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, Mr. Ancient. Didn’t realize you didn’t know how texting worked.”

“It’s not that I don’t know.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

“God, you’re annoying sometimes.”

“You’re the one who called me!” I exclaimed.

“Right,” he sighed. “So, about your apartment. With all the shit going on with your landlord, I easily got you out of your lease. Everything is still in your storage unit. But I don’t know how quickly you’ll be able to find a new place.

Apartments and condos, especially ones that don’t cost an arm and a leg, are renting quickly.

I recommend looking now and trying to get that figured out if you’re trying to move in early September.

I can ask around, too. That’s still your plan, right?

Or were you leaving at the end of the month? ”

As I listened to Grant’s words, I tried to focus on the good news. I was out of my lease. Yay! My stuff was still safe in storage. Also, yay!

Then came my mental spiral. As much as I had been trying, I couldn’t escape the end of summer and when I was leaving. Silence filled our call as I thought.

“You are leaving, right?” Grant asked after a moment.

“Of course, I’m leaving,” I defended. “I’m just…trying to figure out my plans. There’s still plenty of time left. I’m not in a rush or anything.”

“It’s August already, Jules.”

No it wasn’t. It was still?—

I pulled my phone away from my ear, putting it on speaker as I pulled up my calendar app. I narrowed in on today’s date, and hot tears began to sting my eyes when I realized Grant was right. It was August.

My chest started to feel tight, the walls closing in, my breathing getting more rapid. My mouth felt so dry that I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to continue the conversation.

“Right, yeah, I knew that,” I lied, swallowing the lump in my throat. “I’ll start looking this week. Maybe even tonight. I’ll have some time before heading out to dinner.” Laura and Mark were having another dinner in their backyard, and Wes and I were going to head over together.

“Let me know if you need any help. I’ll see if anyone in the office knows of someone who’s renting.”

Knowing Grant, he would find someone immediately, and that would make my life easier. So, then why did it feel so wrong?

“That would be great. Thanks, Grant. Let me know if you find anything, and I’ll start looking, too. Listen, I gotta run. Talk to you later?”

As I was about to end the call, Grant quickly spoke up. “Wait, Jules, you’re having a good summer, right?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “The best.”

“Good. I’m happy to hear that. You sound different, happier. Whatever is in the air in Golden Falls has been suiting you well. I’m proud of you for getting out there, and I’m excited to see you when you’re back. Talk soon.”

It was only when the call had ended that it registered how wet my cheeks had gotten, and I realized I was crying.

What was I going to do?