Page 31 of Something New

He laughed. "I eat on Sundays too. How do you feel about good food but no ambiance?" he asked.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I was thinking about eating at my house. It's so much easier with E. Do you mind him being here?"

"Not at all. Your house is awesome, I love your house."

"So, you're coming over tomorrow for dinner?"

"Sure. What time?"

"Five or six? Is that okay? I'll make sure food is ready at six, but you can come over whenever."

"It sounds fun. Thanks. Are you sure you're up for it, though? We can wait a few days if you want."

"I'm fine with it. I'm back to normal, and definitely not contagious anymore. Are you okay with it? Are you afraid of getting sick?"

"No, no, I want to come."

"Awesome," he said smiling. "E's going to be so happy."

Chapter 11

Sadie Kirkpatrick

It was Saturday afternoon when I heard from JJ Kennedy. I was exhausted and feeling sad when he called, and it was truly unbelievable how my body went from feeling run down and groggy to happy and full of energy.

I was on cloud nine for a little while that evening, and then I started to overthink everything again. I remembered my choices that weekend. I remembered how disappointed my family was and how Salem made me work. I felt great for a while after I talked to John-Michael, but later that night, things went downhill.

I was beating myself up about it when he texted me again. He said he had just put Ethan to bed and he was thinking about framing the pictures—wondering if I had a type or brand of frames that I recommended. I sent him a link to my favorite website, and we talked about matting and color ideas. Then we started texting about other things. One text led to another, and before I knew it, I was going back and forth with him non-stop.

We texted for a couple of hours that night. It wasn't flirty at all. It was just a simple, sweet conversation where one topic led to another naturally.

I had never had a text exchange like that with anyone, honestly. About halfway through it, I wondered if we should just pick up the phone and talk to each other, but we continued to text. I was in a mindset of beating myself up for going out this weekend, so I was kind of glad we weren't on the phone. Texting gave me a second to think of my responses. I didn't mention any trouble to him. I told him I worked that weekend, and we left it at that.

We texted about other things, all sorts of things. He had grown up with sisters, and I had brothers, and we exchanged a few facts and stories about our childhood and families. I had gotten to know his mom some, and so had my brothers. We knew more about each other than either of us realized. We texted for a couple of hours, and then on and off for the rest of the night.

I signed off late that evening by telling him that I would see him for dinner. I went to bed feeling happy and elated with an edge of bitter regret. I hated myself for that edge. I wanted to savor the hope. I wanted to feel like I could deserve someone like John-Michael. He was just too good, though. He was a self-made millionaire and he was a student, a father, and a teacher. I had no idea how he did it all.

He would humbly tell you that his app and career were the result of a whole string of unlikely blessings. He told me the story of how his college girlfriend got pregnant and he married her. He had been all-in with baseball, and becoming a dad made him rethink those dreams and try to think of some quicker money. That was when he teamed up with his friend and made the app. His life had been a whirlwind from there.

I did go to sleep with some feelings of hope and happiness, in spite of being laced with regret.

I was excited enough to put some effort into how I looked when I got dressed to go to their house the following evening. I thought about texting him a few times throughout the day, but I decided to wait. I didn't hear from him, either. I didn't expect to, but I did think I might after how much we talked the night before.

I wore jeans and a t-shirt layered with one of my favorite hoodies. It was lavender, and I wore it all the time. I put on bright yellow Converse and I styled my hair in a big messy bun right on top of my head. I never wore a ton of makeup, but I was careful with what I did apply that afternoon.

I checked myself in the mirror about ten times before I walked up to John-Michael's house.

I was nervous, but all of that faded away when John-Michael opened the door with a smile and I saw little Ethan running full-force at me.

I let out a sound of delight when I caught him in my arms, standing and hugging him. We connected like we were long-lost friends, and at the end of the embrace, he put his hands on my face and kissed each of my cheeks, one at a time like he did before.

I glanced at John-Michael afterward and he was staring at us like he couldn't believe it, like he was puzzled. It led me to believe that Ethan didn't do that with just anybody, which made me way too happy. I had to stifle a ridiculous smile from taking over my face. Ethan wiggled, and I was happy for the excuse to look away as I set him to his feet.

"Come see my food we cooked you," he said, pulling me into the kitchen. I followed behind him, barely stopping to glance at John-Michael.

"You cooked?" I asked before we made it to the kitchen. "It smells good."

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