Page 76 of Entirely Yours
“Oh, well of course Guy told me.” She gives me a little pout and places her hand on her chest. That’s when I notice it. A giant fucking rock on her left ring finger. Melissa doesn’t miss a thing. She notices me noticing her ring and immediately shoves her hand into my face. “Isn’t it gorgeous? He proposed last month.”
“He?” My question comes out as a barely audible whisper, my eyes darting back and forth between Melissa and her sister.
“Yes, Guy proposed! I couldn’t believe it, I was in complete shock! He did it at the end of a perfor—ow!” Olivia has correctly clocked the shock on my face and elbowed her sister in the side.
Melissa’s hands come up to the side of her face as her mouth forms a perfect O. “Wait! You used to have a crush on him didn’t you! I’m so sorry you had to find out this way.”
She doesn’t look sorry. She looks like the cat that ate the canary.
“But you obviously have moved on,” she continues, looking down to where my hand is resting on my stomach. “Your first baby! Must be so exciting!”
“It’s… It’s not my first.”
Finally, I’m able to catch Melissa by surprise. “Wow. You’ve been busier than I thought,” she says. “How old is your… son? Daughter?”
“She’s about to turn five.”
“Five…” Melissa narrows her eyes as she attempts to do the math in her head. I see exactly when it clicks. “That's why you left the company.”
Ding ding ding.
“So what was it Guy told you?” I ask.
She hesitates now, her confidence starting to wane. “He told me you had a mental breakdown. That you were obsessed with him so the board decided to let you go.” She eyes her ring,looking as if her world is beginning to crumble the same way mine did five years ago. “I’m starting to think that wasn’t actually what happened.”
“What an asshole,” Olivia pipes up. “I’ve never liked him.” She directs that part toward me.
“Stop, Olivia! I’m sure there’s a reason that’s what he told me.” Melissa is grasping at straws now.
I scoff. “There’s definitely a reason he lied to you. That reason is about to turn five.”
“Oh shit,” Olivia says. Melissa’s face is now white as a ghost.
“Look,” I sigh, having had much longer to process this information than Melissa has. “I’m sorry you had to find out about it this way, and honestly, I don’t care if you don’t believe me. But I have to go. It was… well it wasn’t good to see you, but I hope everything works out for y’all.”
I turn on my heel and walk back toward the studio, completely forgetting my original destination.
Without realizing it, I stop when I get to the front of the coffee shop and watch Jules through the window. I’m staring absentmindedly when all of a sudden he’s standing in the window staring back at me.
He’s so handsome, I can hardly stand it. His hair is pulled back in his usual bun, loose pieces falling to frame his face. He’s looking at me with such reverence. Such…love.
The realization hits me and I audibly gasp. Jules sees the change in my demeanor and pushes through the front door to meet me.
He bends down meeting my eyes, both hands coming to cradle the back of my elbows. “What’s going on, Thea? Is everything alright? Is the baby…?”
“Baby is fine!” I don’t want to let him keep worrying even though I am spiraling. “I’m fine!” Between the squeak in my voice and the disbelieving look Jules gives me, I know I’m not being very convincing. “I just realized… I realized… we need to plan Chloe’s birthday party. Well,Ineed to plan it. I should go.”
“I can help you plan,” he replies, speaking to me as if I’m the one turning five.
I wave him off. “Oh you don’t need to do that! I’m her mom.”
He takes that like a blow to the face. Finally he lets go of my arms and stands up to his full height. “Ouch.” He runs a hand over his scruff.
“That’s not what I meant. I am just… I’m burdening you enough as it is.”
This seems to piss him off even further. He takes my hand and pulls me into the empty dance studio. When we get inside he turns, pinning me up against the door. “Listen to me Thea—what’s your middle name?”
A laugh bursts free because how have we not covered this yet? “Shirley.”
