handset, the color draining from his face.
“Will, are you okay?” Julia jumped off the counter. “Who was that?”
He was silent, his body tense. He could feel a vein throbbing in his temple. Could it be? He leaned back against the counter, his hands covering his eyes.
“Sorry,” he reached for Julia, hugging her to him, his heart hammering against his chest.
“Will, you’re scaring me.”
“I’m sorry Jules. I’m… that was....” he stuttered. He didn’t want to say it out loud because he didn’t want it to be real. “I think that was Avery.”
“Avery?” Julia asked, visibly confused.
“Someone I knew a long time ago.” He knew she was waiting for him to give her an explanation but he remained silent.
“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked.
“No. No. I’m fine,” he whispered into her hair.
He wanted to be fine. How the hell did she get my number? And why did she have to call me tonight, of all nights? He held Julia closer to him, all plans of seduction evaporating the moment he heard Avery’s voice.
They ended up watching The Graduate snuggled up under a blanket on his couch, but he wasn’t himself, quiet and distracted, preoccupied with the troubling events of his past. He kept one arm around Julia, the other holding onto her hand for dear life.
Julia knew something was wrong, how could she not? He caught her surreptitiously studying him, her brows drawn together in concern, but to his relief she didn’t push him to explain Avery or why he reacted so strongly to her call.
What should I tell her? He wasn’t quite ready to discuss Avery with Julia, didn’t want to risk what they had by revealing the shame he’s carried with him for almost five years, a personal crucifix, his private hell.
During the movie, Julia fell asleep, her head in his lap. He didn’t have the heart to wake her, so he sat still for a couple of hours and alternated between watching her sleep and staring out the window at the moonlight dancing on the water, absently running his fingers through her hair while he listened to the waves crashing onto shore.
Eventually, he placed a pillow under Julia’s head and covered her with blankets, then kissed her forehead before heading to his bedroom. He felt the need to be alone with his thoughts and lying in his bed, he decided to explain everything to Julia in the morning. He didn’t want secrets between them, but when he woke from his fitful sleep she was gone, having left a note on his kitchen counter.
Thanks for dinner. XO Jules.
In the weeks that followed, Julia seemed to be avoiding his phone calls. Normally they spoke two or three times a week. Between Columbus Day and Thanksgiving they spoke a total of six times, each conversation rushed and stilted. She was always on her way somewhere and couldn’t talk for long. He realized just how badly he blew it, shutting down the way he did after Avery’s call.
Will knew she would be home over the holidays and left a message on her mother’s machine the night before Thanksgiving, hoping to see her that weekend, but she hadn’t called him back. Discouraged by her silence, he asked his brother and sister to go into town the night after Thanksgiving so he could drink away his sorrows.
They made their way downtown to Gulliver’s, a bar for locals. Will purposely chose it because there’d be no chance of running into anyone they know. All of their friends would be at Murphy’s Pub, two doors down and Will was not in the mood for socializing. Peter was annoyed when Will insisted on Gulliver’s, but came along, claiming he’d bail on them in an hour.
Will loves his brother, but Peter can be a bit of a snob. They’re polar opposites, yet have always gotten along despite their differences. His brother’s twenty-five, graduated from Yale, and works in banking, and is engaged to a girl from Philadelphia’s Main Line. They live together on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, in sin , according to his
“Will, are you okay?” Julia jumped off the counter. “Who was that?”
He was silent, his body tense. He could feel a vein throbbing in his temple. Could it be? He leaned back against the counter, his hands covering his eyes.
“Sorry,” he reached for Julia, hugging her to him, his heart hammering against his chest.
“Will, you’re scaring me.”
“I’m sorry Jules. I’m… that was....” he stuttered. He didn’t want to say it out loud because he didn’t want it to be real. “I think that was Avery.”
“Avery?” Julia asked, visibly confused.
“Someone I knew a long time ago.” He knew she was waiting for him to give her an explanation but he remained silent.
“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked.
“No. No. I’m fine,” he whispered into her hair.
He wanted to be fine. How the hell did she get my number? And why did she have to call me tonight, of all nights? He held Julia closer to him, all plans of seduction evaporating the moment he heard Avery’s voice.
They ended up watching The Graduate snuggled up under a blanket on his couch, but he wasn’t himself, quiet and distracted, preoccupied with the troubling events of his past. He kept one arm around Julia, the other holding onto her hand for dear life.
Julia knew something was wrong, how could she not? He caught her surreptitiously studying him, her brows drawn together in concern, but to his relief she didn’t push him to explain Avery or why he reacted so strongly to her call.
What should I tell her? He wasn’t quite ready to discuss Avery with Julia, didn’t want to risk what they had by revealing the shame he’s carried with him for almost five years, a personal crucifix, his private hell.
During the movie, Julia fell asleep, her head in his lap. He didn’t have the heart to wake her, so he sat still for a couple of hours and alternated between watching her sleep and staring out the window at the moonlight dancing on the water, absently running his fingers through her hair while he listened to the waves crashing onto shore.
Eventually, he placed a pillow under Julia’s head and covered her with blankets, then kissed her forehead before heading to his bedroom. He felt the need to be alone with his thoughts and lying in his bed, he decided to explain everything to Julia in the morning. He didn’t want secrets between them, but when he woke from his fitful sleep she was gone, having left a note on his kitchen counter.
Thanks for dinner. XO Jules.
In the weeks that followed, Julia seemed to be avoiding his phone calls. Normally they spoke two or three times a week. Between Columbus Day and Thanksgiving they spoke a total of six times, each conversation rushed and stilted. She was always on her way somewhere and couldn’t talk for long. He realized just how badly he blew it, shutting down the way he did after Avery’s call.
Will knew she would be home over the holidays and left a message on her mother’s machine the night before Thanksgiving, hoping to see her that weekend, but she hadn’t called him back. Discouraged by her silence, he asked his brother and sister to go into town the night after Thanksgiving so he could drink away his sorrows.
They made their way downtown to Gulliver’s, a bar for locals. Will purposely chose it because there’d be no chance of running into anyone they know. All of their friends would be at Murphy’s Pub, two doors down and Will was not in the mood for socializing. Peter was annoyed when Will insisted on Gulliver’s, but came along, claiming he’d bail on them in an hour.
Will loves his brother, but Peter can be a bit of a snob. They’re polar opposites, yet have always gotten along despite their differences. His brother’s twenty-five, graduated from Yale, and works in banking, and is engaged to a girl from Philadelphia’s Main Line. They live together on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, in sin , according to his
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