Page 79 of Someone Just Like You

“You’re pushing thirty. If not now, when? I was only trying to help you plan for your future—”

Jude leaped to his feet, nostrils flaring. “You and your fucking plans!”

I jerked back, banging into his dresser. Rubbing my spine, I said, “Why are you screaming at me all of a sudden?”

In a normal voice, he repeated, “You and your fucking plans.” He raised a finger. “You’re killing yourself working overtime behind your sleazy boss’s back because yourplandoesn’t allow for changing jobs yet.” He lifted another finger. “You were offered a dream job and you won’t take it because switching careers doesn’t fall neatly into yourplan.” A third finger went up. “And you refuse to take a temporary pay cut because theplanis to make more money, not less, even if you’re miserable. So, tell me, Molly, how are thoseplansworking for you?” He shook his head in a show of disgust.

“What is so wrong with plans?Youseem to think your restaurant is going to magically open itself.” I muttered, “Although with your luck, it probably will.”

“Well, actually,myplan was to be a baseball player, but that didn’t happen and—oh yeah, whose fault was that?”

I gasped like I’d been punched in the gut. He’d sworn he forgave me…that he had no regrets.

Jude’s face crumpled like he instantly regretted the words, but he didn’t take them back.

Hurt quickly turned to anger. “I never would have spontaneously messed with your bike if I’d stuck to my precious planning routine, but I acted without thinking. Speaking of which, maybe ifyouever thought before you acted, you wouldn’t have been stupid enough to ride the damn bike in the first place!” I instantly regretted these words, but didn’t take them back either.

Jude huffed out a laugh. “It’s like the fog has lifted and I remember why I couldn’t stand you for most of my life. You, Mollyanna, were a type-A bore with a stick up your butt then and you still are.”

The blood rushed to my head. “And you’re still an arrogant and mean…” I pursed my lips. Where were all the powerful insults when you needed one?

“What? You didn’t have time to plan your insult?” He smirked before opening his bedroom door with force and joining Alex on the couch. Yogi promptly jumped on his lap.

With tears brewing, I watched the two of them for a moment—man and his best friend. Then I left, having no idea what had just happened.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

My whole body was shaking as I walked toward my apartment. Twice, I turned on my heel to go back to Jude’s, but both times I realized I had no idea what to say or even how I felt.

I accepted the blame for initiating our fight. It was me who’d interrupted Jude’s fun karaoke night with repeated questions about the binder I’d made for him. But he took it to a whole other level by screaming about my “fucking plans.”

While it killed me to think I’d made Jude—always sure of himself and confident Jude—feel “less than” like his parents did, to accuse me of forming an alliance with them and insinuating what I’d done for him—out of love—was part of some sort of intervention was over the top. He was not blame free, and a large portion of my guilt was dulled by the cruel thingshesaid that could never be unsaid or unheard.

I pulled the hood of my turquoise bubble coat more securely over my head. It was cold. The revulsion in Jude’s eyes and the cruel timbre of his voice at the end.I couldn’t stand you for most of my life.Did he mean it? Were we back where we’d started? I choked on a sob.

I approached Esther’s building and headed up the ramp to her entrance and through the front doors without hesitation. There were benefits to living so close to your best friend.

I knocked on her door.Please be home.

From the other side, a voice shouted, “Pizza’s here!” and the door flew open.

My jaw dropped at the shirtless man in front of me. “Jerry?”Jerry in his boxers!

“Molly.” Jerry’s blue-gray eyes widened, color rising on his fair cheeks. “We thought you were the delivery guy.”

Esther slid into view, wearing a long t-shirt and nothing else. “Sustenance!” Our eyes locked, and she stopped short. “Molly!” She glanced at Jerry and back at me. “Oh my, this is awkward.”

“I can…um…come back if you’re busy.” I darted my gaze over their heads, unable to make eye contact with either of them. It didn’t take a genius to determine why Esther neededsustenanceand Jerry was…well, Jerry was wearing only boxer shorts. I never imagined seeing his bare chest and…gulp…what if I accidentally looked at his bulge? My face burned.

Esther stepped closer and peered at me. “Are you crying? Why are you crying? What happened?”

“Someone ordered pizza?”

I turned my head toward the delivery guy, grateful for the interruption.

Jerry and I stood at the open doorway, not acknowledging each other, while Esther signed the credit card receipt. If the guy wondered why we were all huddled at the front of the apartment, two of us practically naked, he played it cool. Doing deliveries in New York City, this was probably tame.

Esther thanked him, and with the pizza box in her arms, kicked the door closed with her foot. “Jerry, you need to go so I can talk to Molly.”

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