“Well, see you around. I’ll text you later, Jules.”
With that my brother left, and Annie turned to me.
“How is he doing since the wedding?”
“He’s ok. I haven’t actually seen him here since my mom and John got back. I guess what he needs is important.” I hadn’t told them about the fact that he admitted to me that he sold pot to his friends.
“The two of you are really close now, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. We’re actually… we’re dating, actually,” I admitted. After all, Jack and I weren’t hiding it anymore, so I may as well tell my friends. The way both their jaws dropped at once, it obviously wasn’t what they’d expected to hear.
“You’re… dating?” Annie asked.
“Yeah. We have for a while, since before our parents got married.”
“Well, if you’re happy, I’m not going to judge. Besides, it’s not like you’re blood relatives or anything,” Tina commented, grabbing her laptop to check on some notes.
“I guess so,” Annie replied. “It’s still a bit weird to me. I don’t think I could do it. But I’m happy for you, Julianne. It’s great you’ve found someone. Especially someone who’s so damn hot. I kind of suspected, but it’s still different to have you admit it. I guess I’ll probably get used to it.”
“Thanks, guys. It means a lot to me that you’re not being super judgemental about this.”
Annie shrugged. “You’re one of my best friends. Of course I’m not going to be super judgy. It’s your life.”
“Exactly,” Tina chimed in.
I smiled as we went back to our books. Maybe this whole ‘going public’ thing wasn’t going to be as hard as I thought.
Chapter Twenty Three
Before I knew it, exams were over, and I’d completed my first year of University. I’m pretty sure I slept for about a week straight after my last exam, I couldn’t understand how people who did all three semesters a year did it. I was mentally and physically drained, and needed some time to recuperate.
Afterwards, however, I found I had a lot of time on my hands. I was actually tempted to get a job for a while, just to have something to do during the day, but I handed my resume around at a few places and got no bites – I suppose everyone else at Oxford had the same idea – so I quickly gave up on that plan.
Instead I spent my days online, checking Instagram and Facebook, reading about all the world events I’d missed during the month or so that I did nothing except eat, sleep and study, and all that sort of thing. I went out and rode Perdita a few times. There was a stablehand who came by every day employed by John who would saddle her up for me, and he promised to show me how to do it myself one day.
I also started spending more time with my mom. We’d go shopping in London, or just out for lunch, or to get a coffee. I wanted to make sure she was ok. I knew that Jack was telling the truth, and unfortunately, reading about domestic abusers online, I also knew that the odds he would do the same thing with his second wife as he had with his first were pretty good.
“Mom, there’s something I have to tell you,” I told her early on, just after exams had ended. I still hadn’t admitted to her that Jack and I were dating, I was pretty worried about her reaction. Most of our friends knew, now, and while Jack had severed relationships with a couple over their reaction, my two friends were fine.
“What’s that, sweetie?”
“Jack and I… well, we’re dating,” I told her. There. I had just said it. No beating around the bush, no hints, nothing.
“You’re dating? Like, a couple?”
I nodded. “Yeah. We have been for a little while now. We’re pretty happy, actually.”
“Well. I’m not sure I approve, Julianne.” My mom’s lips pursed together. “After all, I’m married to your father. I know you’re not related by blood, but you are related by marriage.”
“I know, you think it’s wrong. Can’t you just be happy for me?”
“I am happy for you sweetie, I just think you should reconsider. People will talk, you know.”
“I know. We know. We’re ok with that.”
“Well, if you’re ok with it, then I won’t stand in your way.”
“Thanks, mom.”
*
We continued our little chats, our talks, our coffees, but I noticed that my mom purposefully never brought up the topic of my boyfriend, of Jack. I knew that she wouldn’t say anything, but she didn’t really approve.
A part of me wondered if she was right. People would talk. I hoped that when the next semester started and people found out, it wouldn’t be too bad, but I didn’t care. I was in love.
And the love of my life was about to take me somewhere special.