Page 30 of Only This Once
“She told me about what happened. Besides, this is Jules. There isn’t a rule she doesn’t like. I believe her when she says she didn’t know.”
“Of course you do.” Phoebe shook her head. “You’re so clueless when it comes to her.”
Jesse scrubbed at his face, deciding to ignore the jab. “I don’t get how she’s the bad guy in all this, anyway. It’s not like she forced him to have sex with her. If he was married, whose fault is it that he cheated?”
“Well, sure, but Julia—”
“Takes responsibility. Yeah, I know. She wasn’t making excuses. She told me she was at fault. She feels bad, and it’s making her not stick up for herself like she should.” He crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing on his sister. “Like her friends should be sticking up for her. What is wrong with you?”
“You’re so blind. It’s not like this is her first time ruining a marriage!” Phoebe’s gaze dropped, glaring down at the tabletop.
Jesse’s heart thumped in his chest. “This happened to her before?” No wonder she felt so guilty. She’d blame herself double for not learning from her first mistake.
“Back in college. She slept with a professor.”
He let his arms fall. “Aren’t there rules against that?” The Julia he knew wouldn’t have broken those rules.
“Well, sure. She claimed she didn’t know he was a professor, that he was a random hookup at a bar. I believed her at the time. I mean, he taught art classes. She’d never be interested in that. Apparently, a couple of students saw them together and ratted them out.” She frowned. “He was married, too. I heard he not only lost his job but also his wife.”
Jesse figured that’s what cheaters deserved.
“It was a big mess. I thought she’d learn from it, but she was back to sleeping around soon enough.” Phoebe leaned forward in her chair. “That’s what I’m saying. She may be my friend, but she will seriously sleep with anyone. I know you like her, but do you really want to be with someone like that? Just so she can scratch an itch, like a cat in heat?”
“I don’t like the way you’re talking about her.”
Phoebe snorted. “No, you don’t like hearing the truth. I’m telling you, you don’t want to do this. Would you really want to catch something from her?”
His anger simmered and died as he watched his sister’s lip curl, a deep emptiness spreading in his stomach. “And that would be the worst thing ever?”
“A STI? Yes! It would serve her right, the way she goes through guys, but you’re better than that. Do you want to ruin your whole life on this silly crush you should have gotten over ages ago?”
“Serve her right,” he mumbled, his body wanting to curl in on itself. “Like it’d be her fault? And it’d ruin her forever?”
“Well, yeah. I mean, some of those infections are incurable, aren’t they?” Phoebe shook her head. “I wish she was more careful, but I doubt she ever will be. I don’t want that for you. I don’t wantherfor you.”
Jesse swallowed, his body starting to tremble. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“You can’t just bury your head in the sand.”
He let out a sound somewhere between a sob and a laugh. “I know that much. I’m still figuring things out, but this, all you said here?” He waved his hand around the kitchen. “I’m going to pretend this never happened, because I really don’t like you right now.”
“You’re so immature! You don’t like me?” Her laugh shredded the last of his hope she didn’t mean what she was saying. “I’m trying to protect you.”
“No. You’re not. I’m not sure what you’re doing, but it’s not about me, not really.” He pushed up from the table. “Do you even hear yourself? Julia is supposed to be your best friend, but you sound worse than those women at the hospital. I don’t like it, and I’m not listening to it anymore.”
Her toddler started crying, but he didn’t look back, flinging himself toward the hallway. He shut himself in his room and fell onto the bed, curling up in a ball.
He was already running late. He should be getting dressed.
Instead, he fought not to cry. The reminder that he had an incurable disease battered at his head, consuming his thoughts. A result from having sex with the wrong person.
Just like Julia wanted to do with him.
He’d known that. He’d known all along he shouldn’t do it, but for a brief moment, he’d allowed himself to dream. Somehow, that made this moment feel even worse.
His door creaked open.
“Go away, Phoebe. I mean it.” He hated how his voice cracked.
