Bad Seed

“Cancel the Richardson contract,” I said simply. “Send them the confirmation and then go home.”

“Go home?” Marcy asked.

“It’s the holidays, Marcy,” I said. “You deserve a break.”

“Thank you,” Marcy said. “But, I don’t mind.”

“I insist.”

Marcy smiled and nodded. She immediately went to work on the Richardson paperwork. I left the office without another word.

My drive back home was slow and exhausting. In just a few days, my entire world had crumbled around me. Julie hated me. Josh wasn’t speaking to me. And my company was teetering on the brink of ruin. I felt like there was nothing I could do to make things right.

I got home and went straight to bed, tucking myself under the covers and blocking out the world. I slept most of the day, happy to have an excuse to turn off my brain. Still, when I woke up that night, Julie’s face was the first thing I thought of. No matter what I did, I couldn’t stop missing her.

CHAPTER 25

JULIE

Saturday morning came too early. Andrea was passed out on my couch, but I hadn’t yet made it off the living room floor. My head ached from all the wine we drank and, yet, the hangover still didn’t hurt as badly as the memory of what happened with Michael. I could still see him leaving the night before, disappearing out my front door without a backward glance.

Andrea tried to convince me to call him. By the time we opened the second bottle of wine, she was convinced that my love for Michael was real. She pushed me to forgive him, saying that it would only make me happier if I did. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to make the phone call. As much as I still cared about him, I wasn’t ready to face him yet. I didn’t know if I would ever be ready.

“Good morning,” Andrea mumbled when she saw that I was awake. “I need water.”

“On it.” I slowly got to my feet and grabbed two water bottles out of my fridge. I tossed one to Andrea. She groaned as she opened it and took a long sip.

“I hate hangovers,” Andrea said.

“This isn’t so bad,” I said with a shrug. “I’ve had worse.”

My mind returned to thoughts of Michael. I remembered waking up beside him after his company Christmas party. My head was resting on his chest and, even though it was pounding from the alcohol, I had never felt more comfortable. Just being with Michael used to be enough, but now, I wasn’t sure.

“How are you feeling about everything?” Andrea asked. She sat up slowly

with another groan.

I shrugged. “I’m fine, I guess.”

“Have you thought any more about calling him?” she asked.

I shook my head and turned away. Today was going to be a long day. My parents were expecting me at their place by lunch.

“Just think about it,” Andrea said. “I won’t push you anymore.”

“Thank you.” I smiled, but it didn’t quite reach my eyes.

“Are you heading home soon?” Andrea asked.

“Yeah.” I nodded. “My parents want me there for lunch. You?”

“I’ll see mine on Christmas morning,” Andrea said. “But I have to get back to Dallas for work. My shift starts in like two hours.”

“Damn.” I laughed. “Have fun with that.”

“Yeah, fuck you.” Andrea groaned again, but it quickly turned into a laugh.

It took us a while to get moving, but soon, we were both heading out the door. Andrea walked to her car with a giant cup of coffee in her hand. I waved goodbye and climbed into my car, happy to be alone for the short drive back to my parents’ house.