The Third Best Thing (Fulton U, #3)

by Maya Hughes

Dr. Schuller had said I should embrace my sexuality and take risks. I don’t think he thought getting shitfaced and writing raunchy notes was the best outlet, but, hey, I was improvising.

This was my freaking body and I loved the shit out of it. And if I kept telling myself that, maybe one day I’d believe it.

I grabbed my long sleeved T-shirt and hoodie off the back of my chair even though it was August.

Umm... Three months after Christmas is March not August?

His head shot up and the half of the cookie sticking out of his mouth broke off and dropped onto the counter. “There you are.” His words were muffled behind two manhole cover-sized cookies. “Did you think I was hiding in my cookie box?”

Chet came to town without the baggage of twelve years of school with the same people. For a sliver of a school year, I’d had a glimpse of what it was like not living in her shadow—and then the lifelong eclipse circled right back around. Jules was put out to pasture like an old, crusty cow, and Laura became the sun to his piece-of-crap-no-good-son-of-a—stars.

We met through a mutual friend. It sounded less scandalous the way they told it.

I wasn’t exactly jumping for joy about being stranded on the country estate where the social-climbing members of the Kelland family would host their non-ironic Great Gatsby-themed engagement party. As though stealing my boyfriend wasn’t enough, Laura was moving the scene of the crime to the place I’d always wanted to exchange vows with a man who looked at me like no other man ever did. She’d always been too busy to go there with Dad during the summers. Pardon me for not RSVPing.

didn’t know Jules was seeing someone. You’ve got to come to the engagement party. It would be so wonderful to have you come.” I clenched my fists at my side and my heart did a skitter-patter. She was doing it on purpose: inviting someone she knew could never be my boyfriend, so she could laugh at her silly mistake and rest her hand on his chest, flirting to within an inch of her life with the added bonus of pointing out how silly she’d been for even assuming.

How can you lose someone you’ve never met? The Letter Girl had careened into my life like a damn smash and grab pro and wormed her way into my heart before I knew what happened. She was everything I’d ever wanted in a girl. Hot as hell. Smart and caring. The slow slide of the notes from X-rated to something more caught me off guard, but she became someone I could talk to. Someone I could share parts of myself that I didn’t share with other people.

We’d upgraded the place a little bit now that we’d managed to keep the roving party monsters out of our house. For two years we’d had parties appear in our house like something out of Harry Potter. Blink and there’s five kegs, a DJ, and red plastic cups everywhere.

“He deserves to know you’re The Letter Girl. And you two are friends now. Tell him. He’ll be so happy.” “More like crushingly disappointed.” She grabbed onto both of my shoulders and stared into my eyes. “Jules, you’ve got to stop. No one would ever be disappointed in having a sexpot, pole-dancing baker as their secret sex pen pal.”

Berk may not see me as an option, but I didn’t want him to see my mother and sister turn me into a victim, and they had a nasty habit of turning me into their whipping post whenever we got together.

“I’d taste your dough any day of the week, Jules.” His words rolled down my skin like chocolate syrup. He was way too good at the flirting. Way too good.

That was the bitch about caring about someone who didn’t seem to have any form of self-preservation—you always wanted to protect them from the fall.

“Looks like someone’s ready to party.” LJ stood beside me, not a bead of sweat on him. “I’m sure you and Marisa have some pre-class ritual including face paint, stuffed animals, and tricycles you’ll wander off into the woods to complete.”

Part of the appeal of Chet had been that I’d held the interest of someone who’d normally never have given me a second look. Those feelings of finally being seen, cared about, desired. I’d mattered until I hadn’t,

Be forewarned, the cell reception and wifi is almost as bad as dial up.” “What’s dial up?” someone called out from the back. “Trust me, you don’t want to know.”

LMAO!!!

“Hey, Jules. I’ve got your drink.” Berk broke the uncomfortable staring match I’d been roped into. He expertly handled the two champagne glasses even with one hand taken by the garment bag, and handed me my drink. “I’m Berk.” He shoved his hand right in front of Chet’s face. Chet turned to my rescuer and his eyes widened. “Can I help you?” “Sure, you can let go of Jules. My date.” “Jules?! Her name is Julia,” Chet snapped. “My mistake, I just go with what I call her in bed at night.”

Beside him, I did feel like he was ready to take on the world on my behalf. My very own knight in shining armor even if it was only for two days and even if he was just pretending to be with me. I could pretend with the best of them.

Splashing water on my face, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Flushed, a little blotchy, and apparently only a good enough lay in the dark. I squeezed my eyes shut and tightened my grip on the edge of the sink. Breathe through it. Don’t let their words chip away at you. Why was I even surprised? Why had I thought things would be different? And to have Berk have to witness it. Kill me now.

She was wiped off the radar before I met her with a glare from Nix and a promise of retribution if I screwed up what he had with Elle in any way, shape, or form, but that’s not to say I didn’t appreciate Jules’ quiet beauty. The kind you found yourself sneaking a glance of when she smiled because it was so completely pure and unworried about being anything other than real.

Hidden flasks, rehab stints, the eventual relapse everyone pretends not to notice, or swears them having a few drinks is no big deal.” “No wonder you invited me.” “It was a tough choice after you volunteered yourself. I thought about backing out and canceling on you, but then I’d be here on my own.”

In a matter of days, Jules had gone from someone I looked forward to seeing every day, to someone I needed to see. I needed to make her laugh and make sure she was okay. And I wanted her to want that of me too.

I couldn’t hold it back any longer; like a dam in a torrential rain storm, I was overwhelmed by her. And kissed the shit out of her.

He smelled like intensity and determination all rolled up into one, and I wanted to climb him like a tree.

I'm all for tree climbing, but I didn't realize emotions had a smell? I wonder what love smells like? Baked goods?

Berk had kissed me. Berkley Vaughn kissed me, Julia Kelland.

Her beauty was heart-stopping. The kind where you know someone inside and out, and everything about them only takes what you already liked to the next level. She was the kind of girl you didn’t come back from. The kind who’d always have a place in your heart to keep you warm on those nights alone long after she’d kicked you to the curb because she deserved better than you. But I was here now, and I’d keep the fires going as long as I could.

I squeezed my eyes shut and held my fist up to my forehead. Don’t do it, Jules. Don’t go there. He’s not blowing you off. He didn’t sleep with you only to walk away laughing this morning. That’s not what’s happening. Just stop.

“I didn’t think I’d ever hear the words donut blow job. Looks like Frenchie is full of secrets.” “Nope. Totally boring.” She toyed with the edge of the cardboard box. “Says the pole dancing baker throwing out sex acts involving baked goods.”

He had women lined up around the stadium for a chance to give him a lap dance and here I was the Dough Ho who didn’t make any sense standing next to him. It was like it was against the laws of nature and people couldn’t help but point it out.

“I don’t give a shit what anyone says. I learned that lesson a long time ago. They can say whatever they want, but it’s me and you, okay?” Taking my face in his hands, he brushed at my tears with his thumbs. “It’s us. Tell me when you’re upset, but don’t run. Because now that I know you love me, I’ll never stop the chase. Can you promise me that?” I nodded, staring into the eyes that had seen deep into my soul. The ones with the golden flecks that always looked at me with a tenderness I’d never expected.

“I want to know when I get to experience everything The Letter Girl promised me.” Jules doing half the things TLG described sent me from damn-I-need-that to I’ll-kill-someone-if-I-can’t-touch-her-now territory.

We worked together on the recipes, with Max swiping more than her fair share from the trays ready to go out front. “It’s a wonder you manage to get any to the customers with her around.” “Tell me about it. I think I’ve had to increase my overall production by twelve percent to take the Max Factor into account.”

My mom had almost always been upfront with her disdain for me, but Alexis… a rage unlike any I’d ever known flooded every fiber of my being. She’d not only done this sneaky sabotage to screw me over, but she’d done it knowing it would hurt Berk in the process. And it was like a switched flipped in my head and I saw everything she’d been doing. Everything the guys had told me about her, everything she’d done to Berk up until this point.

It was one thing to take things out on me or hate me because I was with Berk, but to hurt her own brother? But that wasn’t what she called him unless prompted or in an attempt to push me out of a conversation. And the way she’d hugged him when she walked in. That wasn’t the hug of someone who thought about someone as a sibling. Was there a giant flashing ‘moron’ light above my head? Because there should be. This wasn’t about me not being good enough for her brother or her fearing I was using him. This was about her not wanting anyone else as competition.

I’d been so starved for any kind of sisterly affection I’d let her nail down the stakes to my own trap. And she’d used my eagerness to break what Berk and I had been building. She’s used her closeness to him as a weapon against someone else who might love him. It was selfishness on top of more selfishness. Her whole life had been one long episode of Berk cleaning up after her, and her robbing him of happiness he damn well deserved.

“I can’t watch you ruin your future over someone who’d never sacrifice half the things you’ve sacrificed for her. Who’d knowingly do something to hurt you. You deserve better than that.” “What you’re saying is I deserve you? You come in here telling me you’re not going to make me choose between you and my sister and that’s exactly what you’re doing by making her sound awful. You think you’re so much better than her? Than me?”

“What does Alexis have to do with this? Stop trying to drag her into everything.” Jules whipped around. “Is that what you think I’m doing?” “What else am I supposed to think?” “Then here’s something for you to think about when it comes to the always-innocent Alexis. If she hadn’t been helping me—” Jules took a deep breath and swallowed. “Then how’d I know about the present? The one that apparently means so much to you, but you’ve never shown me. I don’t know why Alexis would want to set me up, but that’s exactly what she did.”

“Why would Alexis lie?” Jules clutched her hands in front of her face. “Why would I?” Her gaze swung to Alexis, but her words were trained on me, like daggers straight to my heart. “I hope you don’t lose everything you’ve worked for, for someone who doesn’t treat you the way they should. People who want the best for us don’t try to cut us off from other people who love us.” With tears in her eyes, she gave me one last look. “Bye, Berk.” She fled the room and down the steps.

“No, Alexis. I’ve put up with a lot over the years. I’ve helped you dodge a shit-ton more than I should have…” I raked my fingers through my hair. “But you’re not the sister I thought I had. If you could do this to me… If you could do this to someone I love.” I squeezed out that last word, it was barely a whisper between us. “You’re not the person I thought you were.” And holy fuck, did I ever owe Jules an apology.

The smells of fresh soap and sandalwood hit my nose, the exact scent of Berk right after a practice shower, lounging in my bed. But he hadn’t bothered reaching out to try and make things right. He’d chosen a toxic person over me, and I had to stop thinking about him.

You can’t be everything to everyone all the time and give and give until there’s nothing left of you. And she’d have undermined everything you did, planting seeds of doubt in his head if he wasn’t ready to see what she was doing. You can show people all you want, but that doesn’t mean you can make them see.”

“I’ve never had many friends, but I like to think I’ve got you.” I looked to Avery and Max. Max’s head jerked back when my gaze landed on her. “Me, too?” She pointed the tip of the cake knife at her chest. “You did burst in here threatening to disembowel whoever made me cry with that, so I’d consider us friends.” “It’s not like I need a reason.” She spun the handle of the knife over the backs of her fingers, looking more badass than anyone should while covered in icing and wearing a tie-dyed bandana over their hair.

“You got the squeeze and rock.” Avery whistled. “That means you’ll never be rid of her. She’s like a wart you can’t freeze off now.”

Fanning her face, she checked the time on my phone. “And I’ve got to go. Time to be fake happy for fake people I fake like.”

She sniffled. “Do you know how hard it is for me to trust anything or anyone?” “But using that against Berk to try to keep him small when he’s made for much bigger things isn’t okay.” She sucked in a shaky breath. “I know. That’s why I’m here. I want to win you back for him—because you’re both good for each other and deserve real love.”

“The mom who isn’t getting married—she’s in a white dress.” “Technically, it’s champagne.”

Lol!

“I thought I’d sneak in a kiss from Chet before all the madness really settled in. I went to the little room they said he’d be in before the ceremony started.” She broke off from her thousand-yard stare and looked at me. “And he was getting a blow job from one of my college roommates.

Crouching, I set the box down. Part of me wanted to stay to see her face, but the protector in me didn’t want to hurt her any more. The last thing she needed was me standing there waiting for my pat on the back for this. I’d done this because it was the right thing to do, not to win her back or get credit. She deserved it and she should always get all the goodness there was in the world—end of story.

“People fuck up and who knows what the future holds. And before you say anything, I want you to know, Alexis is family, but you’re my forever. I can’t promise she won’t fuck up, same as I can’t promise I won’t fuck up. But I can promise that I’ll always believe you and love you.