Page 63 of Rebel Heart
“Yeah?”
“You didn’t say anything.”
“Sorry. I’m just so tired.”
“Oh. Well, I can let you go, so you can shower and get to bed. We can talk tomorrow.”
If I hadn’t learned what I had tonight, I would have pushed through the exhaustion. Tonight, I needed time to clear my head and allow the news to digest.
“Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all.”
“Thanks.”
“None needed. You have a good night, Jules. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, Beau.”
“Goodnight.”
We disconnected the call, and I’d barely dropped the phone to the ground beside me before I burst into tears.
16
BEAU
“Alright,babe. We’re almost back, so I’ll see you soon.”
Talon ended his call with his girlfriend and shoved his phone back into his pocket. Unsurprisingly, Vic didn’t waste a minute in giving him shit about it. “I don’t know how you do it, man. After all the chaos of the last two weeks, you have to visit the girlfriend.”
Talon just shook his head in disappointment. “You should try it sometime, Vic. You’d be surprised how much your life changes for the better.”
“I’m not sure I’m buying that. All I want to do right now is go home and relax for a while.”
“Listen, after two weeks of being away and on the road for these demos, there’s absolutely nothing better than having someone to come home to, someone to relax with. I promise, if you find the right girl, she’ll take away any stress you think you might have.”
Vic opened his mouth to respond, but I couldn’t bringmyself to pay attention to anything beyond what Talon had just said.
I never thought I’d see the day, but I understood where Talon was coming from. I hadn’t ever experienced it before now, before Jules. There was something about her that had me in a chokehold, and I could admit that I, too, was glad to finally be going home.
Maybe I wasn’t as fortunate as Talon just yet. He’d certainly been smarter than me when it came to this. But I was hoping I could get there.
After having things go sour between Jules and me weeks ago and finally finding our way to some semblance of a friendship, I had to leave. The last two weeks, even if fun and engaging and fulfilling when it came to skating, had been much more difficult than I would have imagined, given what I’d been telling myself about what I wanted when it came to Jules.
Evidently, I didn’t know what it was that I actually wanted.
I hadn’t made any official plans with Jules, but as soon as I got home, I planned to call her. And the minute I was standing in front of her, I had things I wanted to say to her. Because this time away from her, feeling the way I did, was something I couldn’t ignore.
She needed to know. Deserved to know. And I prayed she’d be willing to extend me some grace I didn’t necessarily deserve or earn so that I could try to do this with her the right way.
Of course, with zero experience, I was convinced I’d do it all wrong. But I wanted to figure out how to doit right for her. It was crazy to me that I was even having that thought. It seemed impossible for one woman to have such a hold on me the way that Jules did.
“What about you, Beau? You’re awfully quiet for someone who’s normally on my side with this.”
Vic’s voice finally penetrated my thoughts, and I blinked away the visions of Jules. “What?”
“You get what I’m saying, don’t you?” Vic asked. “There’s nothing like having the freedom to come and go as you please without having to answer to anyone.”
