Page 38 of Write Me For You

June

Jesse and June’s Happily Ever After

I squealed when I saw Emma step out of the rideshare. After months apart, I finally got to see my best friend at my college. Emma grabbed her overnight bag and rushed toward me. Tossing her bag on the ground, she wrapped her arms around me and squeezed tight.

“June!” she cried. “I’m so happy to see you!”

“You too,” I said, and stepped back to look at her.

Emma’s hair had grown to her ears. Straight, golden-blond hair.

Clearly thinking the same as me, Emma touched the ends of my dark hair—my hair that was now free of extensions.

In a bid to work on myself, I’d had them removed.

I couldn’t change what had happened to me, so I was embracing it.

I’d survived cancer and I should be proud of it.

It wasn’t all I was, but it was a part of me that I shouldn’t run from.

My hair was now a similar length to Emma’s, though it was styled very differently. It was now a short, chic French bob, with bangs.

“I’m obsessed with this haircut. I loved the long extensions, but this is so stunning!” Emma said.

“You look incredible too,” I said, and hugged her one more time. Every time I saw one of my friends from Harmony, I saw them as the living miracle they were—I didn’t think it would ever change.

“Did you come here with Chris?” I asked.

Emma nodded. “He’s with Jesse now, at his dorm.” She tilted her head at me. “Jesse seemed quiet, sad, when I saw him.”

My heart broke. I didn’t want him to be sad or quiet.

I missed him so much, loved him so much, I just wanted to run to his dorm and kiss him until I could no longer feel anything but his lips.

But I was doing better since our break. In the time we had been apart, I had been talking to Michelle, our therapist from the ranch, to work through my insecurities.

It was helping so much. When Jesse and I spoke again, I wanted to be stronger for him—for both of us.

But I had kept up with the Longhorns and was so unbelievably proud of him. He was breaking every freshman record, and there was even talk from the sportscasters that he may become the first-string QB even when the senior player returned.

I linked arms with Emma, and she picked up her overnight bag. Sydney was visiting her parents, so Emma had Sydney’s bed, and I was ready for a full weekend with my best friend. It had been far too long.

As we walked into my dorm room, Emma placed her bag on the floor and sat on my bed.

When I joined her, she bit her lip, and said, “You haven’t broken up with Jesse, have you?

Jesse didn’t really say what was happening, but both Chris and I have felt some kind of distance between you.

” Emma reached for me. “Please say you haven’t.

I don’t think I’d ever believe in love again if you and Jesse couldn’t make it after all you’ve been through.

” Emma’s voice grew quiet. “You’re soulmates, June. Anyone can see it.”

“I believe that too,” I said, fiddling with a loose thread on my bedspread.

“No, I know it.” I took a deep breath. “I’ve just struggled to adjust. Michelle said it’s very common.

We’ve gone from being told we were going to die to miraculously being cured, then moving to college and my boyfriend finding celebrity overnight.

She said just one of those things can really affect a person’s mental state. All of them? Yeah, I didn’t cope well.”

Emma held my hand. “And now? How are you now?”

I really thought about it before I answered. “Better. I feel so much better.”

Emma paused, and I could tell she wanted to say something. I waited until she said, “How would you feel about getting dinner tonight with Chris?”

My face lit up with a smile. I had been wondering when I would see him.

“And Jesse?”

I blinked at my friend.

Emma’s expression seemed hopeful, but then it quickly turned to guilt. “Ignore me, June. I shouldn’t have pushed you.”

“No,” I said, when it was clear she was going to continue apologizing.

Emma stopped and, taking a breath, I said, “I’d…

I’d like that.” It was the truth. Lord, I had missed Jesse every minute of every single day.

In some ways, it had felt like I couldn’t breathe without him, but I was glad I’d taken the time to grow stronger.

“Really?” Emma said.

“Really.”

She grabbed her phone and texted someone. Chris or Jesse, I assumed. “And are you going to the game tomorrow?” she asked. Jesse had gotten Emma and Chris tickets for the game. He always got one for me too, though I hadn’t been to the past few.

“Um, yeah,” I said, and some off-center part of me slotted back into place.

Emma put down her phone, and I quickly changed the subject. Just the thought of seeing Jesse tonight made butterflies swoop in circles in my stomach.

“Soooo, have you met anyone?” I asked.

Emma playfully pursed her lips.

“You have!” I said excitedly. She had omitted that information from our texts and phone calls.

“He’s in my math class.” Emma shrugged. “It’s early days, so we’ll see how it goes. His name is Damon. And he is hot!”

“I’m so happy for you,” I said, hugging her. When I pulled back, I asked, “Has Chris met him?”

Emma laughed. “Yes, and of course he has been relentless about him being another math nerd.”

I laughed, picturing the amount of teasing he must give her and Damon. “And Chris? Has he met anyone?”

Emma nodded. “My roommate, Nikki.” I laughed, as Emma gave herself a facepalm. “So he’s around all the time. It’s like being back at Harmony, twenty-four seven. He’s an annoying itch that just won’t go away.” She winked at me, and I knew she was joking. That was just her and Chris.

As my laughter trailed off, a burst of warmth filled my chest. We are doing it.

Emma must have shared my thought, as she said, “Chemo Club for life, remember?”

“Chemo Club for life,” I said, then got to my feet. “How long until dinner?”

“An hour, okay?” Emma said and started making plans again on her phone.

I was seeing Jesse again for the first time tonight in four weeks. The nerves were back tenfold, but when I sat in front of my vanity to do my makeup, only happiness glowed on my face.

I was more than ready to see him again.

I wore high-waisted jeans and cream-colored, cropped sweater to the restaurant.

I’d styled my hair just like my stylist had shown me, wearing a light layer of makeup and a red lip stain.

Emma linked our arms, chatting away about a party she went to at A&M, but all I could think about was seeing Jesse again.

Minutes—it was mere minutes until we met up.

As we rounded the corner, the familiar sight of Chris and Jesse standing outside the restaurant made my heart flip.

Chris turned first, and seeing us approach, he broke away from Jesse and ran toward me. “June!” he greeted, picking me up and spinning me around.

I laughed, holding on to him tightly. Just like Jesse, Chris had filled out and looked great.

When he put me down, I looked up and felt lightheaded at the sight of Jesse standing across from me. He wore a long-sleeve, white Henley, his favorite faded jeans, and his old, orange Longhorns cap, worn backwards, of course. His hair had grown a little more, his curls peeking out beneath the rim.

My heart kicked into a sprint as his forest-green eyes met mine. I watched as his gaze roved over me, his focus mostly on my hair. Jesse’s lips parted and a flush spread on his cheeks. I knew I blushed too, under his attention.

He stepped forward cautiously, and I smiled. That smile seemed to be all the assurance he needed to walk right up to me. “Junebug,” he rasped out, so much feeling in that one term of endearment.

“Hey, Jesse,” I said, reaching out and taking hold of his hand. The minute our fingers entwined, I felt reborn, like my body had been restarted by an electric jolt.

“Your hair,” Jesse said, exhaling deeply.

“It’s so beautiful.” I knew he meant it—Jesse always meant everything he said to me.

“You are so beautiful.” He reached out with his free hand and ran the back of his finger down my cheek.

“I’ve missed you so much, Junebug.” His voice shook at that confession.

I leaned into his touch. “I missed you too.”

Jesse smiled. My heart soared. “I’m glad you came tonight.” He appeared nervous. “I wasn’t sure you would.”

“I wanted to,” I answered quickly, and tried to tell him with my eyes how much I missed him but how good it was that I’d found myself again and grown stronger. I stepped closer still, and just an inch from his chest. “I really wanted to see you again.”

“Yeah?” he said, swallowing deeply.

“Always,” I said, and his smile grew bigger.

“Um, guys?” Chris said. “Just gonna say it—this is kinda awkward for me and Ems.” It was so like something Chris would have said at the ranch that it made me burst out laughing.

Jesse laughed too. Chris and Emma were giving us amused expressions.

“Fine,” I said. “Let’s go inside.”

Chris and Emma led the way.

I moved to follow and realized that Jesse still hadn’t released my hand.

“Is this okay?” he said.

“More than,” I said in return.