Bad Seed

Julie kissed me slowly, sighing and letting her tongue slide over mine. We lost ourselves in the feel of each other, forgetting that people were all around us.

“I like you too,” she whispered.

CHAPTER 17

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nbsp; JULIE

The idea of meeting Michael’s brother had my nerves tied in knots. I spent most of the morning on my couch, sipping my coffee and trying not to overthink things. I couldn’t stop my brain from spinning, so I tried to work. My computer was open to my assignment, and I quickly began typing away. After five minutes, I knew it was useless.

I grabbed my phone off my desk and moved back to the couch, falling into the cushions as I dialed Andrea’s number.

“Hey,” Andrea said. “What’s up?”

“I’m freaking out,” I said bluntly. “Michael invited me to meet his brother tonight. We’re all going to dinner.”

“Oh, wow,” Andrea said. “That’s kind of…”

“Fast?” I finished for her.

“Yes,” Andrea said. “But that’s not why you’re freaking out.”

I blinked. “It’s not?”

“No,” Andrea said firmly.

“Okay, wise one,” I said with a chuckle. “Enlighten me.”

“You’re freaking out because of Joshua.”

Andrea’s bold assumption immediately pissed me off. I hated her for even mentioning Joshua’s name. After all, I’d spent a long time getting over him. Now that I was happy with someone else, I didn’t want to think about my ex ever again.

“This isn’t about Joshua,” I said. I tried to keep the anger out of my voice, but I knew Andrea could sense it.

“It is, though,” she said. “Think about it. You spent months helping Joshua find his long-lost brother, right? And the, you spent over a year just waiting around to meet him. Joshua never introduced you. He never once let you be involved. I mean, did you even learn his brother’s name?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but her question brought me up short. When I helped Joshua find his brother, I researched adoption agencies and foster families. I dug around to find the kid who had the right birthday, but I never learned any details. Not one.

“No,” I said with a sigh. “Joshua didn’t really tell me anything about his brother. Once he found him, my job was done.”

“Exactly,” Andrea said proudly. “Now, you have this guy who is excited to introduce you to the people he cares about. His clients. His family. You’re obviously important to him.”

“I think so.” I smiled to myself.

“You are,” Andrea said with confidence. “Which is why you’re freaking out.”

I sighed and shook my head. She was right. I spent two years in a relationship with a man who couldn’t be bothered to truly care about me. With Michael, we were already so close after such a short amount of time. I’d fallen for this man completely and, deep down, I knew he felt the same way.

“You just need to relax,” Andrea said kindly. “Go for a walk. Take a drive. Get some ice cream. Just get out of the house and clear your head. Tonight is going to be great, okay?”

“You’re right,” I said. “You’re totally right.”

“I always am.”

I laughed and said my goodbyes. Andrea and I hung up, and I immediately took her advice. I walked into town and did a few laps around the square. The cold air whipped across my face and brought me back down to reality. By the time I made it back home, I realized I’d been freaking out for nothing.

“It’s just dinner,” I whispered to myself in the mirror. It was almost time to get ready. “Just dinner.”