The Hazards of Skinny Dipping

Chapter Twenty-Five

The first email from Amy came Friday night.

To: juliethegreat14@mail.com

From: amy_monroe@mail.com

Subject: Checking in

Juliet,

Are you okay? I heard.

I didn't write back. She tried again on Sunday.

To: juliethegreat14@mail.com

From: amy_monroe@mail.com

Subject: Worried

Juliet,

Please answer me. Reed told me what happened. I'm sorry. I was just trying to help.

It was the third email that made me respond.

To: juliethegreat14@mail.com

From: amy_monroe@mail.com

Subject: PLEASE ANSWER

If I don't hear from you soon, I'm going to tell your parents or come home myself. I'm worried.

I knew she wouldn't actually come back, but getting my parents involved was the last thing I needed. I still hadn't told them Reed and I had broken up.

To: amy_monroe@mail.com

From: juliethegreat14@mail.com

Subject: Fine

Amy,

I'm fine. I just have nothing to say to you.

Juliet

I felt a little icky about doing it, considering how far away she was, but I wasn't going to pretend nothing had happened. She'd violated my trust.

I needed to find a new job. Working with Reed wasn't an option. Because of that, I had to face him on Monday. I'd spent the weekend holed up at the Delta Mu house. If Reed had come looking for me, I didn't know it. He did, however, leave more than a dozen messages on my phone. I was holding up surprisingly well, but I missed him already. I took a deep breath before walking in to Al's right at four-thirty.

"Juliet." Reed looked up. A hopeful look crossed his face, and I hated knowing I was about to dash it, even though he completely deserved it. "Did you get my messages? I called all weekend."

"I got them. I wasn't ready to talk."

"But you are now?" He pulled out my usual stool for me.

"I just came by to thank you for the job, but I'm not going to be working here anymore."

"Don't quit. Please don't quit." It looked like he hadn't slept in days. I hadn't either.

"I have to."

"No, you don't. We're going through a rough patch, but that doesn't mean we can't work together," he said in a desperate voice. It hurt to hear him that way, but I had to hold my ground.

"A rough patch? Is that what you call it?"

"Yes. This isn't the end. I'm positive."

"How can you be so sure?"

His eyes were so full of emotion. "You came here in person to quit."

"Maybe I just wanted to be professional."