Julie nodded. “I realized that afterward,” she said. “It just sucked because I put so much into our relationship. I sacrificed my time and my energy. God, I even helped him track down his long-lost brother.”
“Long-lost brother?” I asked, frowning slightly.
“Yeah,” Julie said. “His mom had a kid just a few years after he was born. She couldn’t keep the baby, so she gave him up for adoption. My ex, he always knew about the baby, but he never met him. He wanted to, though. So, I helped him figure out which adoption agency his mom used and stuff.”
“But you never wanted to meet him yourself?” I asked.
“No.” She shook her head. “He didn’t want that. He said it was too new, too fresh. He didn’t want anything to complicate their relationship. Which, at the time, made total sense to me.”
I laughed. “Not really. If you went through the trouble of helping, you should’ve met his brother. I mean, at the very least.”
Julie shrugged. “I just chalked it up to confusing family dynamics,” she said. “I didn’t want to step on any toes, so I took a backseat.”
“Confusing family dynamics are a bitch,” I said knowingly.
“Yours?” Julie asked, raising her eyebrows.
“I’m adopted, too,” I said. “My parents adopted me when I was a baby.”
“Really?” Julie asked. “Wow, that’s crazy.”
I laughed. “Not really. Honestly, I never thought about it much until I became an adult. My mom told me when I was five, so it was just this thing I always knew. My friends came from their parents, but I didn’t. My parents chose me. In a way, it made me feel special.”
“That’s a really nice way to look at it,” Julie said with a soft smile.
“I think that’s why my parents are so hard on me,” I said. “They tried for years to have a baby of their own, but they couldn’t. So, when they got me, everything changed for them. They worry about me. They agonize over my decisions. They hover.”
Julie snorted. “Sounds like my parents.”
“Tell me more about them,” I said. I leaned forward and took a sip of my champagne.
Julie launched into stories from her childhood while I listened. We ate dinner slowly, neither of us in a rush to get home.
That night, for the first time, Julie and I grew closer. We’d been connected from the moment we met. Our physical attraction was undeniable. We could flirt and banter better than any couple. But after that night, things changed between us. Our connection deepened.
We talked about our families, our exes, our dreams. Anything and everything we could think of.
When I dropped her off that night and kissed her goodnight, it was different. That deep-seated longing was still there—my body ignited when she touched me, just like always—but there was something more beneath the kiss. Something deeper. Something meaningful.
CHAPTER 13
JULIE
Saturday was fast approaching, and I realized I didn’t have a thing to wear to Michael’s holiday party. I scoured my closet, pulling out every dress I owned. Still, I found nothing. By the time Thursday morning arrived, I was desperate for a little help.
I grabbed my phone and dialed Bethany’s number. She picked up on the second ring, her voice lively.
“Jules!” she said brightly. “What’s up?”
“Hey,” I said. “I’m heading into the city to do some shopping, you interested?”
“Hell, yes!” she said. “Just let me call the sitter.”
“You have time,” I said. “I’m not even dressed yet.”
“Take your time,” she said. “I’ll be home all day.”
“I’ll call you when I’m on my way.”