Bad Seed

“No,” Michael said. “She already knows about you.”

“She does?” I sat up, surprised to hear that.

“Yeah,” Michael said. “She said that since Josh broke up with you, you’re fair game as far as she’s concerned.”

I laughed and nodded. “Yup. That sounds like Sheila.”

“She said she really likes you,” Michael said.

“We got along well,” I said with a shrug. “Joshua didn’t bring me around her very often. Then again, Joshua didn’t bring me around very many people.”

“He’s a dipshit,” Michael said firmly. “We all know that. But it seems like this accident has put things in perspective for him.”

I smiled and laid my head back down on his chest. We spent the rest of the morning just lounging around. We lay in bed, kissing and touching until we couldn’t take the tension anymore. We ate breakfast, took a shower, and then decided it was time to head up to the hospital.

Michael held my hand on the drive to Dallas. He’d been touching me lightly all morning. Brushing my hair off my face, wrapping his arm around my waist, tracing his fingers over my lower back. It felt like he didn’t want me to stray too far away, like he was afraid I might suddenly disappear.

We made it to the hospital just after lunch. Joshua was sitting up in bed, with Sheila perched on the edge of his mattress.

“Hey!” Sheila said when we walked in. “I didn’t expect you to be here today.”

“We thought it would be nice to stop by,” Michael said, looking at me pointedly.

“Julie.” Shelia smiled and held out her arms for a hug. “It’s good to see you again.”

I hugged her and then looked at Joshua. He was watching us closely, looking from my face to Michael’s and then back again.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

“Great,” he said. “It’s good to see you, Jules.”

He smiled, and I knew we would all be okay. Michael hurried over to hug his brother while I stood back. Sheila and I caught up a little bit. I told her about my move to Ennis and my new job. She talked about her new boyfriend and how great he was. We all made plans to get together as soon as Joshua was released from the hospital.

It was strange in a way, to be with both Joshua and Michael, but it also felt right. Like this was the way it was always meant to be.

“I told you it would work out,” Joshua said quietly when I sat down beside him. “He loves you, you know.”

“I know.” I looked at Michael and grinned. He was standing to the side, talking with Sheila. They both looked nervous, but I could tell they were getting closer.

“Are you happy?” Joshua asked.

I looked at him. He was staring at me with a slight frown on his face. I’d never seen him look at me that way before. Not once during our entire relationship had he ever looked so concerned about my well-being.

“I’m happier than I’ve ever been,” I said, unable to hide my smile. “I really am.”

Joshua nodded and smiled. He looked at Michael and then back at me as if he couldn’t imagine anything better.

“What happened to you during that accident?” I laughed. “You’re like a totally new person.”

“I feel like it,” Joshua said. He shrugged. “I guess I’m just done being an ass, you know? Near-death gives you a little perspective. There are more important things. Life’s too short.”

We talked for a while longer until Michael decided it was time to go. We all hugged goodbye and promised to see each other soon. Sheila hugged me twice before Michael and I slipped out into the hallway. We held hands as we made our way to the parking lot. Even now, Michael still didn’t want to let me get too far away.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I told him as we drove back to Ennis. “I know you’re afraid of that.”

“What makes you say that?” Michael asked innocently.

I shrugged. “I can tell.”