Love, Scars, & Shooting Stars

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Julie shielded her eyes from the Monday afternoon sun and peered down the road in the direction of the library, but there was no sign of her son. He had promised to be back before closing time, but here it was three o'clock and there was still no sign of him. He'd probably lost track of time. Again.

Today of all days, she grumbled, stepping back inside and flipping the Open sign to Closed. Granted, she had a fair amount of work left to do before she could leave, and there were worse places he could be spending his time than at the library, but still... Finn had been pushing her limits more and more lately, and she damn sure wasn't going to stand for it!

Julie flopped down at the nearest table with a heavy sigh. Finn's being late wasn't the end of the world, she knew that. And it wasn't his rebellious preteen antics that had had her so keyed up and distracted that day... it was Garrett. Garrett Bradley and his stupid band, and his lame excuses, and his goddamn uncanny ability to turn her brain into absolute mush! Since seeing him the day before at the wedding reception, she hadn't been able to think of anything else. His card was tucked away in her wallet, where she was certain that Finn wouldn't find it, but she'd lain awake staring at it for so long the night before that she already had his number memorized. She'd come thisclose to calling him at least a dozen times that day, each time hanging up before the call could ring through. What was the point? What could Garrett possibly have to say to her after all these years, after walking out on her and their unborn child? Whatever it was, it could never be enough to make up for what he'd done.

The bell on the door jingled, and Julie looked up as Becca came breezing in through the door.

"Hello, hello!" her friend trilled.

"Hey, Becca. No kids today?"

"No, Gary's mother took them for the day," Becca said, tossing her handbag onto the table and plopping down in the seat across from Julie. "You look like hell. Is Finn here?"

"Thanks. And no, he's not here yet."

"Good! You can fill me in before he gets here, and I want all the details."

"Fill you in on what?"

Becca sighed and rolled her eyes. "Don't play dumb with me, Chicky. Tell me about your date! Was the Ex there?"

"Oh, the Ex was there, all right," Julie said bleakly, thinking of Garrett. "And I already told you, it wasn't a date."

"Sure, whatever you say," Becca said with an impatient flick of her wrist. "So what's she like, the Ex? Is she hideous?"

"No, she's gorgeous," Julie admitted, and then tried unsuccessfully to hold back a smile. "And a little bitchy, too."

"I knew it!" Becca crowed. "I knew there'd be a flaw! Aaaand, did you and Cameron have a good time? Tell me everything!" She leaned forward, her hands folded in giddy anticipation.

"It was, uh... fine," Julie said. "Just fine."

"'Fine, just fine'? This is all you're giving me, after I've waited all day long?"

Julie laughed. "Well, what do you want me to say, Becca?"

"I want you to say that it was amazing, that it was stupendous! That you spent the night in his bed and had the most incredible, mind-blowing sex of your life!

"Becca!"

"What? You're a grown woman, it's allowed!"

"Regardless, there was no sex involved, mind-blowing or otherwise," Julie insisted. "Sorry to disappoint."

"Well, did he at least kiss you?"

"No, he didn't kiss me, Bec—" Julie stopped short as a synapse sparked briefly in the back of her mind, setting off a fluttering sensation in her stomach. "At least, I don't think so..."

"What do you mean, you 'don't think so'?" Becca wrinkled her nose.

"Well, the end of the evening is kind of fuzzy..." Julie admitted, just now realizing that she couldn't recall much of what had taken place after she'd seen Garrett.

Oh, God! she thought. Poor Cameron!

Becca's eyes flew open wide. "Oh, my God! Were you drunk?"

"No, I wasn't drunk! I was just"—Julie pressed her lips together and squeezed her eyes shut tight. "I fainted."

"You fainted?"

"Yes. I fainted. At the reception. And Cameron was gracious and considerate, and we came home early, and I probably didn't even remember to thank him."

"I'm sure he understands," Becca said. "But are you okay? Maybe you should you see a doctor..."

"No, Becca, I'm fine. Really."

"People don't just faint for no reason, Julie," Becca persisted.

"No, they don't," Julie admitted. She pinched her lower lip between her teeth and carefully considered her next words. "Can you keep a secret?"

******

"Wow," was all Becca could manage when Julie had finished relating the tale of Garrett's surprise reappearance. "So when are you going to call him?"

Julie shrugged and cast her gaze out the window. "I'm not sure that I'm even going to call."

"What? Julie, you have to," Becca insisted. "The lousy shit owes you an explanation, not to mention almost thirteen years of back child support."

Julie snorted. "He plays in a band, Becca. He doesn't have any more money than I do. Besides, I don't need any support from him—I'm doing just fine on my own, thank you very much."

"Sweetie, you live over a garage."

Julie groaned and let her forehead fall to the table with an audible thud. "I know," she wailed, her voice muffled against the Formica tabletop. "Dammit, I don't know what to do!"

"Call him," Becca reiterated firmly. "Talk to him. I guarantee that he just wants you to hear his sorry-ass excuses so that he can ease whatever little conscience he has, and then you'll be rid of him."

Julie raised her head from the table. "You really think so?"

"Yes, I do. Either or that, he wants to get married, whisk you and Finn away to a two-story house in the suburbs, and live happily-ever-after in the lull of domestic tranquility."

"Uh, no," Julie said. "That's not it. I know Garrett, and 'domestic tranquility' is definitely not his style."

"Well, there you go, then," Becca smiled. "It's his conscience. Just hear him out, pat him on the head and tell him it's all okay, and then say sayonara... permanently! But see if you can shake a couple grand out of him first."

Julie grinned. "You're terrible, you know that, right?"

"Hey, he owes you," Becca insisted, rising from her seat as Julie's son came sauntering across the parking lot, two new library books tucked beneath of his arm. "And it's not just about the money—it's the principle."