Page 21 of Beautifully Messy
“Well, it’s never too late to pick it back up.” He squeezes her arm and picks up the sweater she gave him. “Thank you for this. It’s great.”
His eyes briefly meet mine across the room before turning back to her.
A reminder of where my attention should be.
I hand Mason a slim box with a faint smile. He opens it, revealing a simple black Casio watch. “I read that the cold drains Apple Watches, and I know you time your ski runs.”
He nods and slips it on his wrist.
I lift the flap on the envelope he hands me. A gift card.
“Figured you could get books or whatever. I didn’t want to pick out the wrong thing.” Mason kisses my cheek.
“It’s great. Thanks.” My mouth twitches into what I hope passes for a smile. “Does anyone need more coffee?”
I grip the carafe tighter, as if the warmth might anchor me, help me lock another thing away.
Jules follows me into the kitchen and finds me staring down into my mug. “Wanna go axe-throwing?” she asks, bumping her hip against mine. “What was in the card?”
I hand her the envelope, and Jules's smile fades. We’ve had this fight many times. It’s no secret where I believe books should be bought. “Take it. At least you can load up your Kindle.”
Her eyes soften, though the concern doesn’t leave them. “Have you gotten sick again?”
She hasn’t forgotten what she implied last night, and neither have I. But I can’t go there. Not yet. I want to live in denial until I have no other option. Until hard evidence is presented to me.
“Wanna go ice skating? The resort rink is open today, and we’ve got time. The boys would love it.”
“Oh, look at you, thinking you can throw me off your scent.” She smirks. “I see exactly what you’re doing. But sure, I’m game. Let’s round up the troops.”
Jules claps her hands together the second her feet leave the kitchen, a general gathering her cadets. “Alright, fam. We’ve decided ice skating is on the agenda for this afternoon. Who’s in?”
“Ugh, you know how I feel about ice skating,” Mason groans. “I’m not going, that’s your thing, Syd. I hate it. If I’m going to be cold, I’m going skiing.”
I roll my eyes and catch James looking, something knowing in his expression. He remembers what I said yesterday. Mason has never returned the favor of pretending for me.
“I’m going to pass,” Ivy chirps. “I need to catch up on some work.”
“I haven’t skated in years, but it can’t be that hard, right?” James laughs. “I’m game.”
So it ends up being Jules, Tom, Leo, Beck, James, and me piling into their SUV. Jules takes the wheel, sunglasses on despite the gray sky, radiating the chaotic good energy she brings everywhere.
“Mom, put on ‘We Will Rock You’! We’ve got to get pumped for this!” Leo shouts from the back seat.
“Nah, dude. We need something else. Get ready to shake your tail feathers. Syd, you ready?”
It hits—the beat, the strut, the unmistakable riff. Kesha blares through the speakers with her not-so-kid-friendly anthem about not needing anyone, especially a man, to validate your worth. Tom rolls his eyes but throws his hands in the air and grooves to the tune, laughing at his wife, clearly convinced she’s the best part of the whole ride. You don’t soften Jules. You roll with her.
Jules drums the steering wheel, singing along off-key. The bass shakes the car, the boys wave their arms with exaggerated attitude, and James smiles. A full, carefree smile, the kind that says he doesn’t give a damn how he looks. He grooves as well as a 6’3” man in an SUV possibly can.
As we pile out at the rink, she catches me by the elbow, pulling me aside while the men race Beck and Leo towards the skate rental.
Jules grins. “Thought you could use a reminder.”
“A reminder of what, exactly?”
“That you, my darling, are a badass.”
“Yeah, yeah. Thanks for the pep talk.”
