Page 492 of One More Kiss

Olivia

I haven’t been alonewith Julian in years. Since breaking up, we’ve only ever been together when others were present. But with it just going to be us two, it feels a bit nerve-wracking.

The last I remember being alone with him was the days after Lucas’ funeral. He stayed with me day and night, just trying to keep me from falling apart. But we ended up apart anyway and it hurt just as much as losing my only brother and best friend.

“What about this?” I step out of my bathroom and show off a floral pink and white top with denim shorts and strappy sandals to my best friend since grade school, Ella.

“That’s a little bit more accessible to rip off.” She pops a piece of popcorn in her mouth and waggles her eyebrows.

I sigh. “For the last time, my clothes are staying ON!”

“Sure they are,” Ella spars. “You know that boy, bless his heart, has all the best intentions but I know damn well he wants you stripped down and lying in his bed.”

I roll my eyes and walk back into my closet. I’ve tried on numerous pairs of jeans, shirts, dresses, even a crop top by Ella’s suggestion. Nothing felt right. Or should I say felt good enough. I’ve always felt that I was never good enough for Julian. He was older, a rebel child, but with a heart of pure gold and I thought a little girl like me had no business being his. But I never experienced a love greater than his.

As I comb through every outfit I own, I stop on a short yellow sundress that I wore on my first date with Julian. We went down to Bayview Park and played on the playground and argued over who could jump higher off their swing. I notably regretted choosing to wear a sundress as I should have known better with Julian’s wild antics and I nearly flashed the whole park. Julian was quick on his feet to keep me covered up and later on that night we shared our first kiss.

I pull the dress off the hanger and change. I leave my long hair in loose curls and apply just a smidge of make-up before slipping on my white tennis shoes.

“You’re not wearing bloomers, are you?” Ella shouts from my bed. “I just got a bunch of glittery thongs. I can gift you one.”

“I’m not wearing bloomers,” I say as I step back into my bedroom. “And eww, no. You’re an obstetrician-gynecology resident. You know how bad thongs are for women.”

She shrugs. “But they make a man go cuckoo!”

I grab a pillow off my chair and lovingly throw it at her. “Don’t you have babies to go and deliver?”

“Not tonight. Jacob is taking me square dancing.”

The loud siren of a truck horn blares through my open screen porch door and Ella hops happily off my bed. “I want details by tomorrow morning, and don’t you dare leave anything out!”

“Goodbye, Ella!”

She hugs and kisses me goodbye and out the door she goes.

I glance at the clock on the wall and it’s almost a quarter to six. “Shit!” I agreed to be at Julian’s at six sharp but he knows me better than anyone and will already be mocking how I’m always late for everything.

* * *

“You’re late!”

I slam my car door shut. “Blame Ella.”

Julian crinkles his nose as he stands behind the grill on his patio, his head turning to gaze at the lake that makes up a third of his backyard. He has a love-hate relationship with Ella. He tolerates her for my benefit, but otherwise a day spent without Ella is a marvelous day in his book.

I strut up the patio steps and over to the table he has lined with a red and white plaid tablecloth and place my homemade chocolate chip walnut cookies in the open center spot. I can’t trust a man to provide dessert seems the man in question doesn’t have a sweet tooth. He’s a meat and potatoes chow-hound through and through. His ideal sweet treat is me.

“What do you have over here?” Julian approaches the table and sneaks a kiss on my cheek.

“Cookies.” My voice comes out sweeter than sugar as my cheeks warm from his touch.

“Did you doubt I wouldn’t have dessert for you?”

I give him a questionable look and he falters.

“Okay, okay, I forgot to buy dessert. You know I only have a sweet tooth for you,” he winks. “And you look sweet tonight. That dress brings back fond memories.”

“You remember this dress?”

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