Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 94119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
“I believe that too,” I said, fiddling with a loose thread on my bedspread. “No, I know it.” I took a deep breath. “I’ve just struggled to adjust. Michelle said it’s very common. We’ve gone from being told we were going to die to miraculously being cured, then moving to college and my boyfriend finding celebrity overnight. She said just one of those things can really affect a person’s mental state. All of them? Yeah, I didn’t cope well.”
Emma held my hand. “And now? How are you now?”
I really thought about it before I answered. “Better. I feel so much better.”
Emma paused, and I could tell she wanted to say something. I waited until she said, “How would you feel about getting dinner tonight with Chris?”
My face lit up with a smile. I had been wondering when I would see him.
“And Jesse?”
I blinked at my friend.
Emma’s expression seemed hopeful, but then it quickly turned to guilt. “Ignore me, June. I shouldn’t have pushed you.”
“No,” I said, when it was clear she was going to continue apologizing. Emma stopped and, taking a breath, I said, “I’d…I’d like that.” It was the truth. Lord, I had missed Jesse every minute of every single day. In some ways, it had felt like I couldn’t breathe without him, but I was glad I’d taken the time to grow stronger.
“Really?” Emma said.
“Really.”
She grabbed her phone and texted someone. Chris or Jesse, I assumed. “And are you going to the game tomorrow?” she asked. Jesse had gotten Emma and Chris tickets for the game. He always got one for me too, though I hadn’t been to the past few.
“Um, yeah,” I said, and some off-center part of me slotted back into place.
Emma put down her phone, and I quickly changed the subject. Just the thought of seeing Jesse tonight made butterflies swoop in circles in my stomach.
“Soooo, have you met anyone?” I asked.
Emma playfully pursed her lips.
“You have!” I said excitedly. She had omitted that information from our texts and phone calls.
“He’s in my math class.” Emma shrugged. “It’s early days, so we’ll see how it goes. His name is Damon. And he is hot!”
“I’m so happy for you,” I said, hugging her. When I pulled back, I asked, “Has Chris met him?”
Emma laughed. “Yes, and of course he has been relentless about him being another math nerd.”
I laughed, picturing the amount of teasing he must give her and Damon. “And Chris? Has he met anyone?”
Emma nodded. “My roommate, Nikki.” I laughed, as Emma gave herself a facepalm. “So he’s around all the time. It’s like being back at Harmony, twenty-four seven. He’s an annoying itch that just won’t go away.” She winked at me, and I knew she was joking. That was just her and Chris.
As my laughter trailed off, a burst of warmth filled my chest. We are doing it.
Emma must have shared my thought, as she said, “Chemo Club for life, remember?”
“Chemo Club for life,” I said, then got to my feet. “How long until dinner?”
“An hour, okay?” Emma said and started making plans again on her phone.
I was seeing Jesse again for the first time tonight in four weeks. The nerves were back tenfold, but when I sat in front of my vanity to do my makeup, only happiness glowed on my face.
I was more than ready to see him again.
I wore high-waisted jeans and cream-colored, cropped sweater to the restaurant. I’d styled my hair just like my stylist had shown me, wearing a light layer of makeup and a red lip stain. Emma linked our arms, chatting away about a party she went to at A&M, but all I could think about was seeing Jesse again.
Minutes—it was mere minutes until we met up.
As we rounded the corner, the familiar sight of Chris and Jesse standing outside the restaurant made my heart flip.
Chris turned first, and seeing us approach, he broke away from Jesse and ran toward me. “June!” he greeted, picking me up and spinning me around.
I laughed, holding on to him tightly. Just like Jesse, Chris had filled out and looked great.
When he put me down, I looked up and felt lightheaded at the sight of Jesse standing across from me. He wore a long-sleeve, white Henley, his favorite faded jeans, and his old, orange Longhorns cap, worn backwards, of course. His hair had grown a little more, his curls peeking out beneath the rim.
My heart kicked into a sprint as his forest-green eyes met mine. I watched as his gaze roved over me, his focus mostly on my hair. Jesse’s lips parted and a flush spread on his cheeks. I knew I blushed too, under his attention.
He stepped forward cautiously, and I smiled. That smile seemed to be all the assurance he needed to walk right up to me. “Junebug,” he rasped out, so much feeling in that one term of endearment.