Page 70 of Beauty Of Her

“I suggest you go out to eat.”

“Mrs. Greenvale, how are you, darling?” Mom chimed in from behind me.

Stacey's face brightened. "Oh, Natalie, it's so good to see you! I was hoping to surprise my husband with a special dinner tonight. He’s been craving lamb, but Brett says it can't be prepared on the stovetop."

Mom chuckled softly and placed a comforting hand on my tensed forearm. "Oh, don't worry about that, honey. I'm sure we can find a way to make it work for you." Her shit-eating smile turned toward me. “Brett, would you head to the office to grab those catering orders while I help Mrs. Greenvale?”

Silently, I agreed and headed to the back. As I retreated to the office, my frustration continued to simmer beneath the surface. The tension between Julia and me was reaching its breaking point. Oddly enough, I found solace in the familiar chaos of the office, surrounded by stacks of invoices and scribbled notes. I grabbed the stack of catering orders, hoping that immersing myself in work would temporarily distract me from the turmoil in my personal life. As I sifted through them, my mind started to wander. How did I end up here?

The question echoed in my mind as I stared at the stack of catering orders. It was a question I had been avoiding for weeks. Avoiding because the answer scared me. Because admitting the truth meant facing the inevitable end of what Julia and I had. I couldn't ignore the differences between us any longer.

The age thing didn’t bother me, and I think Julia also got over it. But what I couldn’t get over was depriving myself of having a child. It was a sacrifice I wasn’t willing to make. I was young. Why did I need to close the door on one of the best things I could experience? All I wanted was one baby with Julia. Just one, and it would have been enough. But she didn’t want that. She seemed not to want many things when I started to think about it, and whatever was happening between us, I wouldn’t let falter much longer. Either we would move on with each other or not. But I refused to have our end because we simply stopped speaking to each other. How the fuck could we end like that? Maybe the house thing was a bit much for me. I should have spoken to Julia beforehand, but the idea of us building something, calling something our own, got the best of me, and I acted swiftly.

At this point, I was still with Julia. To be with her in the future and close the door on having my child created a heavy ball in my stomach. But then, the idea of breaking up with her, the true love of my life, created an ache spreading throughout my body, settling in my heart. I wasn’t sure which was preferable. The lesser of two evils.

The door clicked open, and my head shot up to the noise.

“I want you to take the rest of the day,” said Mom, standing in the doorway.

"What? Why?" I stammered, trying to process her words. “I’m fine.”

Mom crossed her arms, her face pooling with concern. "Brett, honey, I can see how stressed you are. I know things aren't easy with Julia right now. You need some time to clear your head."

I let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through my hair. "You’re probably thrilled.” I shook my head. “I don't know what to do, Mom," I admitted, feeling the weight of my uncertainty crushing me.

She stepped into the office and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “It’s not always easy.” Mom rubbed the center of my back, how she used to do when I was a little boy and home sick from school. “Give yourself some space to figure out what you really want."

"But what if what I want and Julia's wants are too different?" I questioned, my voice tinged with worry. “You’re probably thinking I told you so.”

Mom gave me a sad smile. “It’ll all be okay, honey. And that’s the last thing I was thinking. I just want to see you happy. If Julia makes you happy, then it’s good enough for me. But that shouldn’t matter. It all comes down to you at the end of the day.” She left me and my nagging thoughts alone with one last shoulder squeeze.

I packed up the remaining catering slips, tucked them neatly away, and turned off the weak desk light, not that the room even needed it. Pulling out my phone, no messages greeted me. It was as if my fingers took over, and before I knew it, they dialed Julia’s number.

My heart raced as I waited for Julia to answer the phone. The silence on the other end felt like an eternity, and doubt began to creep into my mind. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe I should’ve taken some more time to think things through. But then, just when I was about to hang up, her voice filled the line.

“Hey,” she said, her tone guarded.

“Hey, Julia,” I replied, my voice emotionless. “When was the last time we actually spoke on the phone?”

“Probably a week,” she laughed, and the sound instantly filled my chest. “It’s been a hectic few days.”

Lies. We were tiptoeing around a truth that would break us. “Can I come over tonight?”

“I don’t know, Brett,” she said hesitantly. “I think maybe we need some space right now.”

My heart sank at her words, and I was about to agree, but a flame ignited in me. “Fuck that. Let me come over. Are the girls going to be home?”

“No. They’re with Peter tonight.” Julia’s tone remained flat and caged.

“Perfect. I’ll see you around six?”

“Alright,” she said with a hint of resignation. “See you at six.”

I grabbed a pack of burgers and buns on my way out of the market. The meal that started it all.

Four hours later, I pulled up to Julia’s house, instantly spotting her mom-mobile in the driveway, and parked next to it. I grabbed our food and jogged to the front. Julia opened the door before I could even knock, a mix of surprise and apprehension written across her face. She looked as stunning as ever, her long brown hair cascading down her shoulders, contrasting with the white long-sleeved tee and blue fitted jeans. The nervousness in her eyes mirrored my own, but I pushed it aside as I held up the bag of burgers.

“I come bearing peace offerings,” I said, half-smiling, hoping to lighten the heavy atmosphere.

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