Page 25 of Jumping In

BLAKE:HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

ME:WHAT???

BLAKE:Really? A winky face… Goodnight gorgeous?

I chuckle to myself. Yeah, I knew they’d give me shit.

AUSTIN:It’s a start, but I still think you should try to hang out with her more. Outside of the case, just the two of you now that you know you can still talk to each other. It was fucking painful watching you tonight. Fix it.

I rub my hand down my face. There’s no way we can repair our friendship if we’re still awkward as fuck together. I guess I’ll start there and try to spend more time with her. See what happens. I don’t want to force anything, but it would be nice to get my best friend back.

Setting my phone on the nightstand, I slide into a deep sleep filled with dreams of MJ.

June 16

When my alarm goes off, it is way too early, but there is always work to be done in the shop. I grab my phone and immediately send MJ a text, hoping to work on the plan to regain her friendship.

ME:Good morning ??

I hit send and then immediately regret it, realizing how early it is on a Sunday. When we were kids, MJ used to always sleep in on Sundays so if that’s still her thing then I definitely just fucked up. Hopefully she has her phone on “Do Not Disturb” so she won’t see it until she wakes up in a few hours.

Stretching, I head to the bathroom to clean up and change into some work clothes before heading downstairs. Spoon isn’t open yet, so I make do with an energy drink in the fridge to get me going since I am dog-ass tired.

A few hours of steady work pass by quickly. I take a break and grab a snack and some water before checking my phone for any messages and social media. As if on cue, my phone pings, and my heart beats wildly when I see it’s from MJ.

MJ:Good morning to you too ?? what were you doing up so early?

ME:Up working at 5. I didn’t wake you with my text earlier, did I?

MJ:Not at all, I just woke up

Thank goodness, I breathe a sigh of relief. I peek at my emails and see that the part I ordered in Cedar Bend is ready to be picked up. Looking at the schedule, it seems like a lighter day as well. Maybe I can get in some time with MJ if I play it right.

ME:Good, I’m glad. What are you up to today?

Her reply is almost instant.

MJ:Not too much. Thinking about coffee at Spoon and checking out the new bookstore in Cedar Bend. You?

I quickly look up the new bookstore and see that it doesn’t open for a few hours. An idea comes to mind, and I go to type out a reply to MJ, but before I can hit send, the bell at the front door rings as someone enters the shop.

Chapter 11

MJ

Iappreciatethe slow Sunday morning, especially after the late night last night. Spending most of the morning in my pajamas at my computer, I’ve learned quite a bit about social media marketing and a program offered at Caracrest.

Between the conversation with Shannon a few days ago and then the similar conversation with Mac last night, I started researching different career paths for social media and content creation. I know if I’m going to sell my parents on anything other than law school, I’ll likely have to show them—really my dad—all the facts and details.

It turns out Caracrest offers a Digital Marketing degree and as I compared the course list to the classes I already took, I would only need to take a handful more. I save the document I created on my computer and glance at my phone hopefully.

Mac texted me super early this morning, and it was the first thing I saw when I woke up. Not going to lie, it gave me butterflies and was super sweet. It was even sweeter when he showed concern for texting so early. After telling him what I had going on today, I expected a response from him, but he hasn’t texted back in a few hours now.

My shoulders slump when I see that he still hasn’t responded. I know I shouldn’t be hanging on his every word and constantly checking my phone to see if he’s reached out, but I swear talking to him is addicting. I can’t help but want constant communication now that he’s opened that metaphorical flood gate.

Taking a deep breath, I decide to not let it affect me. He’s just a guy who hasn’t responded to a text, like that hasn’t happened to me before. I close my laptop and clean up my desk to make it look and feel a little less chaotic. While researching, I ended up writing on a handful of sticky notes and a notebook, so stuff was all over the place.

Walking over to my closet, now stuffed full of all the clothes I brought home, I look for an outfit for the day. I pull out a pair of jeans and a simple black tank top. The tank top is form-fitting and shows off some of my midriff, which I’m a little self-conscious of, but to love my body as it is, I go with it. I brush out my hair and leave it down, which helps me feel a little more comfortable. Balance.

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