Julia's Journey (A Coming Home Again Novel Book 2) (8 page)

I notice her staring at me, but I ignore it. I let out a
sigh of relief when she finally lifts the spoon, taking a small taste test. “Is
that oil or butter I detect?”

I’ve already put about half my chowder away. I shrug my
shoulder.
“Probably both.
It’s sinfully good.”

Julia eats all of two bites before dumping the rest into my
cup.

“What are you doing?” I ask, but already know.

“Just help me out and eat it. That man scares me. Who knows
what he’s
gonna
force me to eat next.” She shivers as
though the idea repulses her. This is Julia, so I guess it does.

Sully brings more food than we can possibly eat. As he
slings the plates down he rambles off the lunch items. “
Lobstah
rolls.
Baked beans.
Onion rings.
Clams.”

“Wow. How good is this stuff?” I ask in awe. “Is it just
good or w—?”

“It’s
wicked
good.
Now don’t be a
chowdahead
and make me say it again.”
He walks away.

I pop a fried clam in my mouth as I look over at Julia.
“Wicked good,” I comment, making her laugh.

She turns serious as she inspects the food. “Ugh. I can’t
eat any of this.”

“Why not?”
I ask around a mouthful of lobster roll. It’s buttery
goodness.

“Everything is slathered in fat.” Julia pushes the plate my
way while looking around for the waiter.

“I can’t eat all of this,
Thorton
.”

“Just eat what you can, honey. I don’t want Sully to scold
us,” she says full of tease.

“I will if you take one bite of the lobster and eat one
clam.” I’m bartering with her like she’s a child. It frustrates me to no end
that she just won’t eat. She finally agrees to my demand, so I let it go and
dig in.

By the time I roll out of the tavern, I feel nearly drunk
with the food overload. The closer we get back to the RV, the sicker I feel
myself get. Dizziness and nausea is rolling over me with such force that I
cannot even answer anything Julia asks. I’m not really clear on what she’s
saying anyway. All I can focus on is keeping the food down and getting to the
campground. I climb in the driver’s seat and cringe with the knowledge that
it’s going to take forty minutes to get to the campground. I don’t think I have
even twenty minutes, but I give it all I’ve got.

Chapter
Nine

Greyson

Last week was…rough. I didn’t make it but ten miles out of
Boston before I had to pull the RV over and puke my guts out. The food was just
too much and too rich. I feel like such a weakling. It sucks.

To Julia’s credit, she said nothing—just retrieved me a
bottle of water and cautiously watched me until we pulled into our site and got
everything hooked up.
Then
she let
loose. I was already mad at myself and Julia sent me over the edge when she had
enough nerve to accuse me of being bulimic. I might have punched the wall. No,
honestly, I did punch the wall—albeit it feebly.

“No,” I had yelled. “I want to keep the food. My body just
won’t let me.” I tried calming down and explaining that I had been on a
restrictive diet for so long that my body couldn’t handle it. But she kept on
wanting to know just what sort of mess I had gotten myself in while I
disappeared. I had no desire to explain any of it.

I think I punched the bathroom door at that point. She kept
on my heels in the small space and wouldn’t let up, so I laid into her. “You’re
one to being pointing fingers. You’re an anorexic bombshell.
A
ticking
time bomb
!”
I yelled
weakly. I had hardly any fight left in me from being so weak.

“Wow. Way to make a girl feel special,” Julia said as she
began to sniffle, which made me feel even lousier. I can’t handle a crying
Julia. It hurts too much.

I calmed down and pulled her towards me and held her close.
“I’m nothing if not honest with you, Julia. I’ve always been straight up with
you. No need in sugar coating it.” I held her for a few minutes before I
whispered, “You’re anorexic and we both know it.”

She had gripped the back of my shirt tighter. “Please don’t
try taking me to a facility.”

“How can you expect to get any better, if you don’t get any
help?” I smoothed her hair down, trying to calm us both. I was dead on my feet,
but it was a conversation I couldn’t walk away from. “If someone is sick with
cancer, wouldn’t you encourage them to get help medically?”

“This is different,” she tried to defend.

“I don’t see it that way. I’m worried we can’t figure this
out on our own.” I squeezed her tighter to emphasize the point.

“Since when did this become a ‘we’ problem?” she mumbled
into my chest.

“It’s always been a ‘we’ problem,” I commented.

I eventually released her and headed for bed. Julia spoke up
before I was able to get the door shut. “Please tell me where you’ve been.”
When I didn’t answer her, she continued, “You realize you are a ‘we’ problem
too.”

“Please, not tonight,” I said and continued to bed.

Today we are back on the road. We’ve been heading down the
interstate for about three hours when I ask Julia to look up the next rest stop
on the GPS. I need to break the news to her and I’ve got to get it over with
sooner rather than later. I keep glancing over at her as she taps away on the
screen. She’s studying the screen in concentration when I see her face fall.

“Greyson, I thought we were going to Pennsylvania next.”

Without meeting her eyes, I say, “
I’m
going to Pennsylvania.” She’s realized the GPS is programmed
for NYC.

“Why?” Julia’s voice sounds defeated. Man, I can’t bear to
look at her. I can only stare straight ahead at the road.

“I think it’s time we get you back to New York.” I drive us
on in silence for a few beats. “Besides,
Thorton
,
you’ve been stuck with me for over a month now. Haven’t you reached your limit
of me yet?” I try teasing the tension away and it falls flat.

“Please, Greyson. I’m not ready to go back just yet. Sawyer
has made a mess of things and I’m not prepared to face it.”

“Oh, so that’s the real reason you’ve been doing this.” My
voice gets all hoarse and I sound like a loser. I can’t help it. That’s pretty
disappointing.

“No, no,” she starts to reassure me. “Greyson… I’ve missed
you more than you know. I want to hang out with you… Even if you were heading
back to New York, I still wouldn’t want to go near the city right now.”

I know she’s trying to make me feel better. She’s doing a
lousy job.

“Please let me go to Pennsylvania. Please.” She gives up
when I don’t answer her and goes to sniffling.
Great.

I’m a sucker when it comes to Julia
Thorton
.
Always have been.
So while she’s still freshening up
at the gas station, I reprogram the GPS for Pennsylvania. I’ve got a really bad
feeling about this. My gut says get rid of this chick and do it fast. I have
told Julia no about a lot of things over the years, and I just can’t bring
myself to do it this time. Yes, I know I’m
gonna
pay
a price for giving in, too. I have no doubt about it.

Julia climbs back in her passenger seat, looking defeated,
and goes to staring out the window.

I let out a long sigh. “Okay,
Thorton
.
How’s about you and I go check out what Pennsylvania has to offer us?
Whataya
say?”

She looks over to me and a small smile appears on that
beautiful face. “Thank you.”

“Okay. Why don’t we celebrate with a round of protein
shakes?” I offer.

“I could think of something better for a celebratory drink
than that,” Julia sasses, sounding more like the girl I know. But she heads
over to the fridge and grabs us a shake anyway.

Miles pass quietly with Julia seeming to be content with
continuing the trip and me privately worrying when it’s going to blow up in my
face. I feel it coming, too.

“So what’s on the itinerary for this leg? Please tell me you
aren’t seeking out an Amish person to say some slang word.”

I chuckle. I didn’t think of that…

“You’re going to love these two stops,
Thorton
.
Chocolate and Intercourse.
What more can a woman ask
for?” Now we both laugh, and it feels good. I’m starting to feel good. And boy does
it feel good. I’ve felt
bad
for so long that I forgot
how good plain simple
good
can feel.

We pull up late in the afternoon with the sun shining low as
it begins the slow descent. And man, is this place glorious. This campground is
unlike most. It’s smack dab in the middle of a farming village. The scenery is
abundant crops and modest barns with the occasional horse and buggy passing
right by my parked RV. You can just feel the peace breezing around this place.
Tomorrow is going to be a great day. I waste no time going to bed, leaving
Julia up as always. I know she doesn’t sleep much, but I really need the rest.
I try not to worry about her and settle in for the night.
My
mouth waters just thinking about tomorrow.

A chocolate factory…
Absolute heaven.
Some men drool over car museums or raceways. That’s all good, but there’s
nothing like a place dedicated to just chocolate. Julia rags me because of it
with the usual teasing about me acting like a girl with my chocolate obsession.
And again, I don’t care. I’ve learned that life is too short to worry what
people think of you.

But as happy as this place was making me, it was making
Julia just as miserable. We bickered most of the day with me frequently
reminding her she was the one who begged to come along. That shut her up for a
while, but then she went right back to it.

The coolest part of the tour was that I got to make my own
candy bar, filling it with caramel, almonds, and marshmallow crème. When it
came Julia’s turn, she just waved that prim hand around and said, “You just go
ahead, honey.”

I overlooked the tour attitude, but she really pushed it
during the chocolate tasting, saying that a wine tasting would be so much
better.

“No wine. So stop
your
whining.” I snapped the words sternly at her. You would think Julia could take
a hint. Nope. She just kept on.

She wanted to know how many calories were in each piece of
chocolate. The kind instructor was accommodating and tried to find the exact
calorie count for the princess. Needless to say, Julia sucked the fun out of
the entire day.

When we returned to the campground, she struck out on her
run to fight those measly calories she consumed. And I stormed off to bed. I
laid in there stewing over it all. I noticed the constant tremors in her hands
today. No amount of me trying to distract her helped. I know my girl. I’ve
watched her over a decade and all I can do is
wait
for
the fall. She’s spiraling right before me. God help us.

~~~~

I wake up this morning with a bad feeling seething in the
pit of my stomach and think twice about getting up altogether. I don’t know
what I’m about to face, but I decide it’s best to get on with it. After my
usual breakfast of oatmeal and a protein shake and Julia’s usual of just coffee,
our plans are to head over to explore the village.

Julia meets me outside after breakfast as I start unloading
the mopeds. “Can’t I just ride on the back of yours? I really don’t feel like
driving today.”

I should understand her intentions. And I think I do, but
try with all my might to ignore them. It is going to be a bad day. I don’t have
a clue just how bad it is going to get. There’s some saying about hindsight and
I can’t bring it forward at the moment.

So Julia settles on the back of my moped and we both set out
with overstuffed backpacks. I have already made reservations at this Tavern/Inn
for two rooms. Although they are adjoining, it is some separation. We are going
to have supper, or closer to reality I will be having supper, and then spend
the night. I need a break from Julia and she has no qualms about staying in an
inn after the long stay in the RV.

I check us in and then we set out on foot around the
village. I’ve cautiously watched Julia all day. I don’t know what gives. Why
today? Why period? But she’s heading for a crash. She’s been making small talk,
calling everything quaint and has bought a considerable amount of nonsense.
She’s bought her brother a leather belt, her sister some earrings, a quilt for
my mom and one for Miss May. She’s even purchased me a cowboy hat. We set up
shipping for everything she finds. She’s so restless today, just grabbing all
kinds of stuff that I’m not sure she will ever do anything with.

The first food specialty shop I talk Julia into checking out
actually has wine samples. At ten in the morning! And that’s all it takes. I
try
backtracking
us out of the store, but she won’t
leave. Julia is so charming that the lady ends up practically pouring the wine
down Julia’s throat. I literally have to drag her out of there.

“Honey, you should have yourself a drink. Maybe it will
loosen you up a bit.” Julia giggles.

“I have no desire,
Thorton
. Not
when I’ve seen how alcohol can wreck a person.” I nearly growl this out as I
pull her along the sidewalk.

“Fun Police.”
She giggles more while she’s pointing her finger at me. She
has no food in her as a buffer and already seems a bit tipsy.

Julia manages to not sniff out any more beverages until
lunch. Lunch is at this ultra-cool brew house with a five star restaurant. All
I can think about is trying the award-winning burger and sweet potato fries. I
don’t think Julia will be tempted too much with the beer. She’s always whined
that it bloats her too much. Well, I am wrong—way wrong.

There is this huge sign over the beer bar that states,
“Beer, if drank with moderation, softens the
temper, cheers the spirit, and promotes health.”
 
–Thomas Jefferson.

As I eat, I watch Julia’s eyes get glassier and heavier
while she downs two handcrafted beers. Moderation is not a word this chick has
a clue about. I see nothing healthy about it. We leave with me having a full
belly and a heavy heart, as I watch my companion stumble around. I try to talk
her into going for a nap.

“Hmm… I will if you go to bed with me.” She flirts
relentlessly while running her hands over my chest.

“Tempting, but no.”
I take a step back from her. I don’t play into her game.

“Fine.
Let’s move on, Stone.” She staggers away, so I have no
choice but follow.

We keep at exploring the town. Two hours have passed and she
seems to be sobering a little. I find a specialty store, hoping I can find
something she will agree to eat. Of course, that backfires in my face. This
store is offering an afternoon cocktail special and Julia comes close to
jumping up and down and clapping her hands. No lie. It’s like the booze is
following us around today. I try talking her out of it, but don’t want to cause
a scene. She starts getting loud when I suggest she lay off the drinks, so I
back off. When she gets to this point I know there’s nothing I can do. There’s
no reaching her. The day passes with us weaving in and out of shops. We shop
with Julia getting louder and sillier as the time drags on. I just hope I can
get us to the tavern for supper and talk her into eating.