The End of Beginning

Julia woke up with her mind still spinning from the night before.

The electricity of the show, the way Joe had looked at her while he performed, the charged moment backstage—it was all replaying in her head on a loop.

She groaned, pressing a pillow over her face. What the hell am I doing?

She had the day off, but there was no way she was going to be able to relax. Her thoughts were a mess, tangled between excitement, guilt, and confusion. She needed to talk to someone, and there was only one person she trusted enough for this.

She grabbed her phone and sent a quick text.

JULIA: Come over. I need a therapy session.

CHLOE: Do I need wine for this?

JULIA: Probably.

CHLOE: On my way.

An hour later, Julia and Chloe sat cross-legged on the couch, glasses of wine in hand despite it being the middle of the afternoon.

"Okay," Chloe said, tucking her legs underneath her. "Spill. Every detail."

Julia took a deep breath. "The show was... he was incredible, Chloe. Like, legitimately talented. I wasn't expecting to be that impressed, but I was."

Chloe smirked. "Oh, I know. I saw him making eyes at you the whole time."

Julia groaned. "And then backstage—" She hesitated, feeling a warmth creep up her neck.

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Yes...?" She was loving this maybe even more than Julia.

Julia exhaled. "After you guys went outside, he pulled me in for a hug. But it wasn't just a regular hug... it felt charged." She set down her wine glass before putting her hand up to cover her face, almost in embarrassment. "And then he kissed me on the cheek."

Chloe's eyes widened with excitement. "What?"

"It wasn't just a cheek kiss," Julia admitted. "It lingered. And the way he looked at me afterward..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "It was a lot."

Chloe leaned back, processing. "Damn."

"Yeah."

They sat in silence for a moment before Julia sighed. "I don't know what to do. I feel like an idiot. I always fall for the unavailable ones."

Chloe pursed her lips. "Well, I get why you're feeling all kinds of things, because hello, even I could feel the heat from last night. But... you're not wrong for feeling confused. He has a girlfriend. And even if things between them aren't great, it still wasn't really appropriate for him to do that."

Julia groaned. "I know. And that's why I feel so stupid. I should've pulled away. I should've said something."

Chloe nudged her knee. "Jules. You're allowed to have feelings. Just because he's the complicated one doesn't mean you have to beat yourself up over it."

Before Julia could respond, her phone buzzed. She glanced down at the screen and immediately sat up straighter.

JOE: Hey. Just wanted to say thanks again for coming last night. It really meant a lot.

A second message popped up.

JOE: Also... I wanted to apologize if I made you uncomfortable at all. I was drinking, and I think I might've been a little more forward than I meant to be.

Julia's heart thudded.

She turned her phone toward Chloe. "Look at this."

Chloe read the messages, then looked back at Julia. "Okay, so at least he's self-aware. But how does that make you feel about it?"

Julia exhaled. "Embarrassed. I shouldn't be affected this much by someone who isn't even technically available."

Chloe gave her a sympathetic look. "Feelings don't follow the rules, Jules. But at least he's acknowledging that last night was... a lot."

Julia's phone buzzed again.

JOE: Would you want to meet up for coffee again soon? There's something I want to talk to you about.

Her stomach flipped.

She met Chloe's gaze. "Now what?"

Chloe smirked, taking a sip of her wine. "You go find out what he has to say."