Page 175 of Alive At Night

“I’ll teach him everything I know,” I said, my voice catching.

“Thanks, man.” Grayson’s voice remained soft. “I’m really sorry—”

“It’s my turn to tell you to stop apologizing,” I interrupted. “Let’s face it. It would have been a really fucking hard case to win.”

He chuckled. “You could have done it.”

I shrugged. “Maybe. I was hopeful.”

“I know you worked hard on it,” he acknowledged. “I wish I had reached this conclusion earlier so I hadn’t wasted your time.”

I thought about working on the case with Juniper, all the nights we’d stayed late, all the dinners we ate together, all the little moments when I started to feel more alive.

“You didn’t waste my time at all,” I said finally and with complete confidence.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” I smiled to myself. “That case was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

* * *

“You’re lying.”

Janie, my mini-me, was staring at me. She hadn’t said anything since I’d announced that I was dating Juniper, but Gianna, on the other hand, kept insisting that I was fucking with them.

“This is absolutely a prank.”

“Gi, it’s not a prank,” I said calmly. “Juniper and I are dating. I am dating Juniper. She is dating me. We’re together. Are you going to help me out here, Gems?”

Gemma shrugged. “I think you’re doing just fine on your own.”

“Don’t think I don’t see that little smirk on your face, Julian,” Gianna continued. “You’re pulling something, and I’m not buying it.”

“It’s not a smirk. It’s a smile,” I laughed.

The accusation didn’t leave her eyes. “I thinkbothprove that you’re up to something.”

“Or maybe I’m justhappy.”

“Wouldn’t that be something,” Genevieve muttered.

I couldn’t even get myself to glare in response to Gen. She was right. I’d spent far too much of my life being miserable without Juni, but I wouldn’t ever be going back to that.

“Look, you can find out for yourself in a few minutes. She’s on her way over.”

“Really?” Josie perked up. And damn, I loved how excited she was to see Juni. I loved how perfectly Juni fit into my life, but I hated that I never saw that it could be like this before.

“Really.”

For the next approximately three minutes and twenty-six seconds, my sisters volleyed questions at me while waiting in the living room at my parents’ house. After every question, they stared between me and the front entryway, waiting anxiously for someone to ring the doorbell.

Juni and I had come home for the weekend to celebrate my birthday with my family.Ourfamilies. Juni’s parents would be coming over later, and even Sofia and Marc planned to swing by.

That was sort of a happy coincidence; Sofia had reached out that she was going to be in the Boston area this weekend, and Juni was really bummed to have to tell her that she was going to be in Whitebridge. So I told Juni to invite Sofia tonight, too, and Juni was so adorably excited that Sofia said she’d love to join for a bit.

When the doorbell finally rang, I walked to the door, feeling irrationally giddy at knowing Juni was behind it. I could feel the eyes on my back, but I ignored them and focused on greeting my girlfriend.

I opened the door to a tentatively smiling Juni and raised a brow.

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