Something Just Like This Read online

  “Community college.”

  “No. I’ll put myself in the workforce and start saving money.”

  “I think you should try college. Apply to a few places. See what happens.”

  “And I think you should let me live my life, and I’ll let you live yours.”

  Wow. I didn’t expect a reaction like this. I’m not trying to be pushy. I only want to help. Can I blame him though? I haven’t even said I’m sorry for the accusations I made.

  “Hunter, look, I didn’t ask you here to force you into college. In fact, I wasn’t even thinking about college.”

  “That makes two of us.”

  I sigh inside, not wanting to give him any reason to be upset. Eating my words is hard for me, and I hate to tell him he’s right to be mad at me. “The other day at mom’s house, I was wrong.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Thank you?”

  “Yes, thank you for saying that.”

  This seems too easy. “You’re not going to say you told me so or fight with me over the reasons I was wrong to react like I did?”

  His eyes meet mine, and I can see how tired he is, how those years away from us took life away from him. “No. I’m not. What’s the point, Juliette? The only thing I have to prove is that I’m no longer the person I was when I walked into that prison. And even then, I don’t think I need to prove it to you. Do I want you to believe me so we can move on from this? Yes. I’m not about to devote all my time and attention to it, though. Mom has moved on. I only hope you can, too.”

  I say nothing at first, only stare back at him, allowing the small speech he gave to sink in. He’s not seeking approval from me. He never was. The only person who he needed to forgive him did. That’s enough for him. That should be enough for me.

  “I can, Hunter. Please understand that I’ll be cautious. I can’t pick up where we left off, as wonderful as that sounds. You’ve served your time, and it seems you’ve come out of it a changed man. And over the past month, I’ve changed, too.”

  “All these changes will take getting used to, I suppose.”

  “Yeah. That’s it, really. We don’t want to change too much too fast.” Marnie brings us our meals, and Hunter wastes no time biting into his sandwich. “Man, I’ve been home eleven days now but every time I bite into something like this it still feels like the first time. If I missed anything, I missed great food.”

  “What am I, chopped liver?”

  “You’re cliche as hell,” he says as a piece of lettuce flies out of his mouth and onto the plate. “And until about two minutes ago, yes, you were chopped liver.”

  I glare at him, and he laughs, and then I do, too, because he’s right. And I think, while a few days late, Santa may have given me my brother back.

  29

  Landon

  “There she is, the woman whose stolen my best friend’s heart,” Calvin greets me and Juliette at the door.

  “Don’t embarrass me now.” I help Juliette take her coat off and hand it to Calvin.

  “No. Please. Embarrass him. I want to hear it.” She slides her arm around my back, resting her hand in the back pocket of my jeans. I jump when she gives me a squeeze.

  “Landon!”

  “Hi, Monica,” I say to Calvin’s girlfriend as she steals me away from Juliette into a big hug. “You don’t come around here too much anymore. You’re always with this one. I assume this is Juliette? Hi, Juliette. It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Monica, Calvin’s girlfriend. Well, his live-in girlfriend, not wife, but who needs a ring, right? Wine, anyone?”

  Monica takes a breath, and I wonder how she doesn’t pass out from fitting so much into one breath. She’s been hinting around to Calvin for a few months she wants to get married. Now she’s flat out telling him what she wants. I must talk to Calvin about that later to see how he’s dealing with it. He doesn’t discuss marriage often, but when he does, he gives me the impression he’s more against it than for it. That should make for an interesting conversation between him and Monica.

  Monica disappears into the kitchen to pour us some wine. “Dude, I don’t know if she can be any more straightforward than that.”

  “Yeah, she thought I was getting her a ring for Christmas. When she opened her gift card to Michael’s she wasn’t too happy.”

  “A gift card?” Juliette repeats with a skeptical tone.

  “It was five hundred dollars, and she loves to scrapbook and make crafts. I thought it was perfect!”

  “Is he being serious right now?” Juliette points to Calvin.

  “Unfortunately, yes.” I pat him on the back. “You have fun with that. We’re going to mingle.” I guide Juliette away from my friend as she waves goodbye. “Sorry about him.”

  She laughs. “Don’t apologize. He may not know how to pick out a gift, but who am I to judge? I’m not exactly Santa Claus over here.”

  “Nope. You’re a sexy elf, and we happen to be under a mistletoe.” She looks up, and before she realizes there is no mistletoe, I kiss her.

  “What was that for?”

  “Do I need a reason to kiss you?”

  “No. Do it again.”

  I do as she says, wishing we hadn’t come to this party, and we were at one of our houses instead. If we’re lucky, we can find a place to sneak off to at Calvin’s house. The place is pretty packed for the party though. I recognize a few faces from the gym, and a couple people I met in the past. There are more people here I don’t know than I do.

  “Since I don’t know anyone, I think we should find Monica and our wine.”

  “I like the way you think.” I take Juliette’s hand. As we’re about to enter the kitchen, Calvin stops us.

  “Landon, hold up.”

  He’s with a man I recognize but can’t quite place. His bright orange hair should be easy to put to a name. I rake my memory, nothing coming to mind.

  “This is my buddy Tim Middleton.”

  “Tim!” I snap my fingers. “Yes, you work at Livingston, Pierce, & Johnson. I’m sorry, I don’t recall what you do there.”

  “IT. Security mostly. Like you, but I secure computers, not the building.”

  We shake hands, and I try to remember the last time I saw him. His company is in the building across from Security Haven. Sometimes I would see him when I went out for lunch, and one time I met with someone at his company to sell our services. They weren’t interested.

  “Nice to see you. How are things at LP&J?”

  “Great. We’ve acquired a new company, much like Security Haven did. Look, man, I’m sorry about what happened there.”

  Good news travels everywhere, I guess.

  “Calvin filled me in.”

  He lifts his beer bottle toward me as though he is reading my mind. I’m not sure how I feel about Calvin gossiping about my lack of employment, but I’m glad my firing didn’t make headline news or anything, either. “They invited me back to work as an independent contractor. I went for like ten minutes. Once they showed me to my office, I took one look around and couldn’t figure out why I was there. They lost their chance when they fired me. I shouldn’t go back.”

  “I hear you do awesome work. It’s their loss.”

  “Thanks, man.” Juliette’s hand rubs up and down my back.

  “So, what if I tell you we’re looking to hire someone?”

  “Oh? I thought you didn’t want to bring a company in.”

  “We don’t. We’re creating our own division. I recommended you as the head of it.”

  My eyes almost pop out of my head. “What?” Juliette drops her hand and takes mine, squeezing it. “Are you serious?”

  “Serious as a heart attack. Why don’t you come by the office on the second?” He pulls a card out of his pocket and hands it to me. “Ask for me, and I’ll bring you in to meet my boss. I think this will be a good fit.”

  “Yeah. That sounds wonderful. Thanks, man.” I acknowledge both Tim and Calvin because I should thank both. I’m grateful Calvin thought of me
and passed my name onto Tim. He may suck at being a boyfriend sometimes, but his heart is certainly in the right place.

  “Honey, that’s incredible!” Juliette jumps into my arms with a small squeal. She kisses me, and I lose myself in it for a moment. “Next year is going to be great! I can feel it!”

  My body goes limp as I think of my sister. Next year may be a positive one for me, especially if I’m hired onto a new job and this relationship with Juliette keeps getting better, but for her, it’s not so awesome.

  “Landon,” she pulls me away from the party to a spot in the back of the living room where no one is seated. “I’m sorry I said that. Well, I’m not sorry. I mean, it’s okay for you to be happy while Courtney goes through treatment. It’s probably better you are happy. She needs your positive vibes more than anything right now.”

  With every word she says, I blink my tears away. It’s difficult to think of my life moving forward while my sister’s is at a standstill. I’m in the fast lane while she’s on a detour with an unknown path.

  “Trust me like I know you do.” Her hands wrap around my fist, so warm and soft. If there’s anything I know right now, it’s that I trust Juliette.

  “Okay,” I say. “Let’s enjoy the evening.”

  And we do. We spend the night talking with people we’ve never met, make a few new friends, and laugh with Calvin and Monica. When the clock strikes midnight, and we share our first kiss of the new year, I truly believe everything will turn out okay.

  30

  Juliette

  “Wow. I … you … Carly, that dress is gorgeous.” Carly stands in front of me, on a literal pedestal, in the dress shop. The white gown snakes around every curve of her body, a plunging neckline perfect for the diamond necklace she wears. Long bell sleeves flare at the wrists, and floral appliqués outline from the top to the bottom.

  “I’m pulling my hair back and braiding it around the top, and I have a floral tiara that will fit in perfectly.”

  “Oh, Carly, this wedding will be amazing. I’m so happy for you.” For the first time since she announced her engagement, I mean those words one hundred percent. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone glow more than she is in this moment.

  I take her hand and help her down from the pedestal, one she’s suited for and deserves to be on. She twirls once she’s on flat ground. “I’m on cloud nine. I’ve waited for this day my entire life!” She hugs herself. “I can’t believe I’ve found the love of my life already. My worst nightmare was not finding him until I was almost forty or something.”

  “Excuse me? I’m almost forty.” My Carly happiness scale drops from a ten to a five with her comment. Yes, I’ve only recently found Landon, but I didn’t spend my entire life searching for him, either. That’s the difference between me and Carly. My happily ever after doesn’t need to include a wedding. Though if it did, I think I’d want it to be with him.

  “Whoops. Sorry. I’m just so excited. Sometimes I forget what I’m saying.”

  I brush her hair back behind the dress. “I’ll forgive you, but only because you’re the bride, and that gives you permission to do pretty much anything you want.”

  “Anything?”

  “Well, within reason. Do you have something in mind?”

  “Hold on.” Carly steps over to a rack with a clearance sign. “Every dress here is ninety-nine dollars. Pick one.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Pick one. I’m buying us each one, and we’re going ice skating.”

  I scrunch my nose up. She’s crazy, yet I search through the rack for a long-sleeve dress. I pull one out, press it against my body, and shove it back on the rack. “You’re insane.”

  “I’m not.” She undresses in the middle of the bridal shop. Her dress drops to the floor, and she randomly takes a dress off its hanger. She pulls it on and asks me to help with the buttons. “Come on. We’re wearing them out.” She grabs the one I put back and pushes it toward me. “What are you waiting for?”

  For me to wake up from this nightmare. “This is the weirdest thing you’ve ever come up with. I’m not doing this.”

  “I’m the bride. You said I can do anything I want.”

  “Anything you want. Not me.”

  “I want you to put this dress on and go ice skating with me.”

  Carly keeps her eyes on me and refuses to look away. Though she’s smiling, there’s a touch of malice behind those lips. She means business, and she’s not giving up. Leave it to her to find a way around my words, to twist them so I have to listen to what she says.

  I take the dress from her. “Fine, but I’m not changing out here. You have no modesty.”

  I go into the dressing room and exhale a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. My button on my jeans almost breaks with the force I give it, and my shirt catches on my necklace. I pull harder on my shirt until it finally comes off. The dress hangs on the door. A wedding dress. A dress never in my life I intended to put on.

  As I take it off the hanger, my roughness turns gentle. The top is all lace, swirls embroidered on it. I don’t want to puncture it. How do I put this on? Carly stepped into all the dresses she tried on, but this one has a much smaller area for the neck as it’s intended to surround the area. I bunch the tulle gown into my hands and toss it over my head. Darkness consumes me as I search for the waist area to pull the rest of it over me.

  “Are you okay in there?” Carly knocks on the door.

  “Yeah. Give me a minute.” She probably can’t make out what I’m saying beneath the layers. I see the light and push my body through, slide my arms through the sleeves, and catch my breath when I see myself in the mirror.

  I look good.

  No, I’m not bragging. Never in my life had I imagined myself in a flowing gown, ready to walk down the aisle, but as my reflection bounces off the mirror, I picture it. The flower girl, Abby, tossing petals as I walk down the aisle, Landon waiting on the other side in a tuxedo, his hair brushed back, enough hair on his face to tickle me when we kiss. I can see his smile as I make my way toward him, ready for us to vow our love to each other in front of our family and friends.

  “Come on!”

  Carly wakes me out of my daydream as she whips open the door.

  “I love it!” She jumps up and down and stomps her feet on the ground. “Grab your clothes. Let’s go.”

  The woman at the register isn’t shy about the curious look she gives us while we each pay for our dress. I can’t believe I’m purchasing a wedding dress, and I’m wearing it out of the store. We step out into the cold air, and I’m thankful the temperature increased to a warm thirty-three degrees today. I’m still cold, but nothing compared to the negative temps we experienced last week. We’re parked in the front of the store, but our short distance isn’t short enough for us to avoid the odd stares from other shoppers.

  “Ignore them!” Carly opens the door for me. “Hop in.”

  I finagle my way into the car, the dress a huddled mess as it overtakes the front seat. Carly finds a way to sit and drive with her huge gown on. She plays with the music app on her phone, and I recognize the song as soon as I hear the first bit of music. She’s chosen “Going to the Chapel” by the Dixie Cups to accompany us on our drive to the ice-skating rink.

  “How do you even know this song? You’re way too young to know it.”

  “You are, too.”

  She’s trying to redeem herself from her comment before. “While I wasn’t born until many years later, my mom used to listen to this music all the time. That’s how I know it.”

  “Well, I know it, too. Let’s sing.” She turns the dial and the volume up as she belts out the words. I laugh and join in. We’re driving down the highway in wedding dresses singing about getting married…on our way to go ice skating. This couldn’t be any crazier if we tried.

  When we arrive at the rink, we’re welcomed by people pointing and whispering and a few take photos with their phone. “We’re going to make it online, aren’t we
?”

  “Maybe we’ll go viral!”

  Carly may want to go viral but I don’t. The last thing I need is Landon finding a picture of me on the internet wearing a wedding dress. He’ll think I’m crazy, and I’ll lose any chance I had at a relationship. Though once we have the skates on and we’re spinning around on the ice, all my worries are thrown to the wayside. This is the craziest thing I have ever done, and I’m enjoying every minute, and I’m thankful I’m sharing it with my best friend.

  31

  Landon

  I hate I have to miss today with Courtney. Her first day of treatment and I’m at work. Tim set me up with his manager, Ben, and after a long discussion and meeting a few other people, I start at Livingston, Pierce, & Johnson today. The day is bittersweet. After a month and a half of no job, I’m back at it, something I wanted. Juliette and I are stronger than ever. But Courtney begins the hardest journey she’ll ever be on. I want to be there to support her.

  I am, though, in a way. With this job, I can increase how much I put aside for Abby and Audrey. And start saving for a special gift for Juliette. One that I’m sure she’ll love after the photos she showed me from her weekend with Carly. Ice skating in a wedding dress? She does wear an elf outfit for a few weeks a year, but the Juliette I’ve come to know isn’t that spontaneous. I like this change.

  “How was your first day?” Juliette asks me after my first eight-hour shift at the job. She’s made me dinner, and I can’t wait to dive into the steak she’s made. The tenderloin looks like it’s cooked to perfection, much like the angel sitting across from me.

  “Excellent. Ben is allowing me to hire my own team.”

  “What? That’s fantastic! You can build the team you want. I know you’re not working entirely for yourself like you wanted, but that’s a good compromise.”