The Wright Mistake(91)

I laughed and headed for the car. Man, it was good to be home.

I had almost made it to the driver’s side when the door popped open, and out came a vision. The girl I’d been dreaming about seeing for three very long months.

“Julia,” I said in awe.

I drank her in. She’d changed her hair. It was lighter and shone in the fading afternoon sun. And that wasn’t the only change. She looked…happier. A coy smile touched her lips, and her dark eyes lit up. She was in black skinny jeans and a black V-neck T-shirt that hugged her curvy features. Paint smudged her fingers. It looked like it belonged there.

And she was still the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.

“Hey, Austin.”

“Are you driving my car?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

She laughed. “You gave me permission.”

“That was one time!”

“Well, she handles like a dream. I might even keep her.” She patted the roof. “Red really is my color.”

“Fuck, I missed you,” I said, stepping up to her.

“Oh, yeah?” Her eyes twinkled in delight.

“Every day.”

“I missed you, too.”

I set the letters down on my suitcase and left it behind as I approached Julia. She leaned back against the car and tilted her head up to look at me.

“That’s really fucking good to hear.”

“How was your last week?”

“Long. I was ready to come home.”

“But you needed to stay?”

I nodded. “I needed the whole time. And probably years more of outpatient treatment to make sure I don’t relapse again.”

“You think that’s going to happen?” she asked, worry in her voice.

“Not if I have anything to say about it.”

“I like hearing that.”

God, I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to feel her lips against mine and taste that cherry flavor and get lost in her. I wanted so much. But we hadn’t made any promises in all of our letters. I hadn’t even known that she’d be the one picking me up today. It had been a long game of waiting to find out if she’d forgive me for what had happened. Not forget it because no one could forget, but learn to move forward. I’d done all of this for me, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t hope that it’d helped my chances with Julia.

“It’s really good to see you,” I told her instead.

I wasn’t going to press. If she wanted this, she’d let me know.

“I know. I’m glad you’re back.” Then, her eyes rounded, and she started laughing. “But you have a runaway suitcase.”

I whipped around and saw that the wind had carried my suitcase and the precious box of letters away from me. I dashed after it and scooped them both up. Julia was cracking up, laughing, when I returned.

“Oh, that was good to watch.”

“Thanks for the heads-up.”

She leaned down into the car to pop the trunk, and I placed my suitcase inside and fit the letters next to it.

“I brought you a present,” she said when I came back around to the front.

“What’s that?”

She tossed Waffle at me. I caught the pink-sequined unicorn in both hands and stared at the designs that Julia had added to our unicorn love child.

“I’ve had custody for two months. I think it’s your turn to pitch in. Don’t want to be a neglectful parent.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“So, back to your house?” she asked.

“Actually…I sold it.”

“You what?” she gasped. “You didn’t tell me!”

“I had Jensen hire someone while I was gone.”

Her eyes were wide. “You loved your house!”

“I know. I still do. It sucks. But I bought that house, gutted it, and redid it because it was walking distance to all the bars. I thought being that close to temptation wasn’t going to be healthy.”

“Wow,” she whispered. “That’s really…responsible.”

I laughed. “It’s more like playing chess. I have to second- and third-guess every choice I make to see if it could somehow coincide with the life I lived before or if it might trigger a reaction that would send me over the edge again. I’m still learning to manage those triggers.”

“So, where are you staying?”

“Jensen said I could stay with him.”

She nodded. “Smart. Well, are you ready to take her out for a ride?”

My eyes met hers. “More than anything.”

Julia’s cheeks heated. She knew I didn’t really mean the car.

We both got inside, and I turned over the engine. It purred to life. Then, I was pulling away from the airport and off onto the country back roads that would take me into Lubbock. The windows were rolled down, Julia’s hair whipped in the wind, and it was a perfect sort of freedom.