“No shit, Sherlock,” she sneered. “Why do you think that is?”
I assume that’s a rhetorical question.
“I know I messed up,” I said weakly.
“Yes. You did.”
“Can you maybe give her a message for me?” I asked.
“No,” she replied, crossing her arms. “Now get the hell out of here!”
“Please,” I said. “I really need to talk to Julia.”
“Why do you keep calling her that?” Megan asked in an irritated tone. “Jules hates it when people use her full name.”
“Not when I do,” I said defensively.
“Whatever. Just go.” She started to close the door but suddenly stopped. “Oh, and tell that idiot brother of yours to stop emailing me shirtless photos of himself!”
Oh, God, Matt. Have you no shame?
She was lucky that he hadn’t sent her pantless pictures, as well. I was sure he wouldn’t be opposed to that level of depravity. Megan slammed the door in my face but I heard her talking to someone on the other side. I was about to leave when the door opened again. This time it was Sophia.
“Hey,” she said in a slightly friendlier tone than Megan’s.
“Hello,” I said, shuffling my feet.
“Jules isn’t here,” she said, looking me over with a frown. “She’ll be back later. She’s been staying here the last few days.”
“Oh,” I said lamely. I was glad to hear that she hadn’t been alone. “She won’t return my calls.”
“She’s angry with you. Why did you do that to her?”
“I was drunk. I…I made a mistake.”
“I’ll say,” Sophia huffed. “She worked so hard on that paper. We barely saw her while she was writing it. I think she wanted to impress you.”
Fuck. No wonder she hates me now.
I groaned, running my hands through my hair. “She was so furious with me,” I lamented.
“Yeah, she was really upset when she came by afterward,” Sophia said. “You hurt her feelings.”
“I know,” I mumbled, feeling as though my chest cavity was too small for my lungs.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her cry before,” Sophia said so quietly that I almost didn’t hear her.
I made her cry? Oh, no!
I couldn’t imagine Julia crying. She always seemed so composed and in control of herself. Except when she was screaming at me and calling me an asshole, of course.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, even though I knew that Sophia wasn’t the person I needed to apologize to.
“You really care about her, don’t you?”
I nodded. I couldn’t reveal too much. If Julia ever found out just how much I cared, it would ruin any prospects of getting a second chance to win her over.
“I want to apologize and explain, but she won’t see me, and it doesn’t seem like the sort of thing I should be doing on her voicemail,” I said sadly.
Sophia nodded, looking pensive. “Listen, we’re going to a club on Friday night,” she said. “Maybe you should make an appearance.”
“Julia would never believe that I just happened to show up,” I said immediately.
“Maybe you could bring your brother?” Sophia suggested after a few seconds. “Jules said that he owns that sports bar we went to, and that he goes out a lot.”
That’s certainly true.
“Why are you helping me?” I blurted out.
Sophia gave me a stern look. “I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it for Jules.”
“Oh,” I said, not knowing how to respond.
“Look, Stephen. Can I call you Stephen?”
I nodded.
“Jules has been having a hard time lately—a really hard time—but she always smiled a little more when you were around. I’d like to see her smile again.”
A hard time with what?
“So, just come by the club on Friday and maybe she’ll talk to you,” Sophia continued.
“But won’t I see her in class on Friday afternoon?”
Sophia shook her head. “I wouldn’t hold your breath.”
“Oh,” I said, yet again. “I guess I’ll go to the club, then. What’s it called?”
“Booty,” Sophia said with a smirk.
“OK,” I said, feeling a little perplexed at her reaction.
It must be an old pirate-themed tavern.
I reached into my bag and pulled out a large envelope. “Sophia? I was going to drop this off in Julia’s mailbox, but maybe you could give it to her?” I handed it to her, and she only hesitated for a second before she took it. “It’s her paper. A colleague of mine graded it, seeing how I’m…well, you know. I thought she might like to have it.”