Page 103 of Once Smitten, Twice Shy

I blink. Stunned. “We told Juliet’s parents we were just friends.”

He laughs, hoarse and husky. “And your mother heard that from her, I’m sure, but she also knows all too well what can come of two people being ‘friends.’ ” He pauses for a minute, then says, “It’s all right to be scared, Will. It’s natural, the first time you recognize those feelings in yourself—if that is what you’re feeling.”

“It is?”

“Sure,” Dad says. “The most important people in our lives—because of how deeply they matter to us, how much of ourselves we entrust to them—it means they hold our heart in their clutches. That is terrifying. And some days the fear of how…exposed that makes us feel, all the unknowns it introduces, well, that fear isloud. But the love, the joy it brings you, the hope it gives you, can be even louder, the more you turn toward it, the more you give yourself over to it, the more you choose it. That’s how love gets the last word.”

I sit there, the guitar quiet in my hands. “Thanks, Dad,” I tell him quietly.

He nods, then reaches over and grips my arm, squeezing hard.

He doesn’t say another word as I sit beside him on the porch, and I don’t, either. I watch the sun fade, already begging it to be tomorrow, for the sun to come up.

So I can finally step into this whole universe I’ve found in how I feel for Juliet. A world I hope she’ll want to step into with me, hand in hand.

•Thirty-One•

Juliet

Will never came into town like he said he would yesterday. Never called. I waited up until my eyelids couldn’t stay open another second, hoping I’d hear from him.

I woke up to a phone whose screen had no new messages. No missed calls.

I’m freaking out. I’m trying not to, but I’m freaking out. At first, I told myself maybe he got a late start in the day. But then the hours rolled by. That’s when the hurt settled in. Had he forgotten? Had he decided to blow me off? I couldn’t believe that. Next came the worry. But I told myself, if something had happened to him, Christopher would have heard, would have told us.

I finally caved at 9 p.m. and texted him.

Juliet:I missed you today. What happened?

I waited and I waited. Until I couldn’t wait anymore, and I slept.

Now it’s morning, and I’m awake; the sun is shining, and while there’s no explanation for what’s going on with Will, I’m determined to compartmentalize and carry on.

Because today is a big day, the biggest day of the year besidesValentine’s Day for the Edgy Envelope—Sula’s stationery and paper shop—the big annual sale, and today, I’m helping out.

Examining myself in my reflection, I smooth my hands down my red skirt and force a smile as I say, “Hi! Welcome to the Edgy Envelope.”

I frown. “Too peppy. Warm and welcoming without being overbearing.” I blow out a breath, rolling back my shoulders, dusting off a piece of lint on my fuzzy pink sweater tank as I try again. “Hi. Welcome to the Edgy Envelope.”

Smiling, I nod once at my reflection, satisfied. “That’s better.”

“JuJu!” The door to the apartment swings open. Bea catches it before it bangs into the coat hooks, judging by the quiet that follows, only the soft click of the latch as she shuts it. It makes me miss Will, how he’d bang the door into the coat hooks every time he came in.

“JuJu?” my sister calls.

“Back here!” I yell.

Bea bounds down the hall, then stops at the threshold. A snort jumps out of her. “Oh boy. We did it again.”

I take in what she’s wearing and feel a laugh jump out of me. Bea’s wearing my outfit, but inverted. Her blouse is scarlet like my skirt. Her skirt is the same pale pink as my sweater. “Well, we ran a pretty high risk,” I tell her, “considering we were ordered by Sula to dress for the occasion.”

“That woman’s lucky I love her,” Bea mutters, sidling up to me in front of the mirror so she can inspect her reflection. “Giving me a dress code. These arenotmy normal colors.”

I smile at the rhinestone pink headband holding back Bea’s sideswept bangs, which she’s started growing out. “You in pink, BeeBee. Never thought I’d see the day.”

“The things I do for Sula,” she grumbles, adjusting her headband. Turning to me, she looks me over. “You look real pretty,JuJu. But…” She tips her head when her gaze lands on my face. “You okay?”

I swallow back the immediate threat of tears and force a wide smile. “I’m fine. Come on.” I grab my foldable cane off the closet door hook, just in case I need it, and take her hand in mine, dragging her out of the room. “We’re going to be late!”

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