Page 85 of What If It Was Us
Even as I thought it, I knew it was a lie. I could never let him go, because I would never love anyone else like I love—present tenselove—Jackson Delvecchio. Even if he didn’t love me back.
Chapter 39
NOW
August
Ihad been back in Michigan for three days, and was just finishing up the final touches on the family room when I heard a knock at the door. My heart leapt in my chest, hoping it was Jackson back from treatment, telling me that he was feeling better. Because even if we didn’t end up together, Ineededhim to be okay.
I took a deep breath and opened the door, finding Julie on the other side instead.
“Oh,” I said at the sudden shock of seeing her standing there. Something pinched in my chest, and my eyes filled with tears.
“Oh, honey,” Julie said as she wrapped me in a hug. She sounded just like Marie, and suddenly I was fourteen again, sobbing in front of a Delvecchio.
She leaned back and pushed my hair away from my face. “Let’s talk.”
She followed me into the family room, and we sat on the dilapidated couch.
“So, this is what you and Jackson were up to,” she said as she looked around the room, taking in the paintbrushes, rollers, and cans of paint that were still strewn in a mess across the floor.
I nodded, remembering the last time he stood in this room a month ago.
“How is he?” I asked with a scratchy voice.
“He’s home—he got out of treatment. I’m here visiting him.”
I wondered how long he had been back. Had he decided he didn’t want to come see me? He didn’t even send me a text.
“Is he, um . . . okay?” I cleared my throat.
Julie gave me a smile, eyes softening. “Yeah, Addie. He’s doing great.”
I was so happy to hear that, even though it hurt just a little bit. Okay, it hurt a lot bit. I was proud of him for doing something about his problem, though. For attempting to fix it when he knew he was struggling.
I nodded again, not knowing what to say.
“He told me everything that happened,” Julie said lightly. I met her eyes, and she was watching for my reaction to her words. Damn lawyer eyes.
“Everything?”
She gave me a grin that crinkled her eyes. “Yes, Addie, everything.”
I bit at the inside of my lip. Did she think I was a piece of shit for throwing myself at Jackson when he was technically still with Sophie?
“He didn’t cheat. You know that, right?” I could hear the worry in my voice, petrified that I was giving Julie ammo to hate me.
Julie actually let out a laugh. “Relax, Addie. I know.”
I leaned back against the couch, letting out a long breath of air.
“I told him not to get back together with Sophie back then, you know. And I told him not to propose, either.”
I hated how much I loved hearing this information. It seemed Julie was actually on my side, even though she was the one who told him not to touch me all those years ago. What did she think about us hooking up before graduation? We had never talked about it—I was never alone with her after it happened. I’d always wondered if it was her that tried calling me before I threw my phone out the window ten years ago. At least I finally knew why no one had answered my calls that night, now that Jackson had told me the full story.
“Well, he did it anyways,” I said.
Julie smirked at me before shaking her head. “The little shit never listened to my advice, not once.”
