Free An Autumn Affair by Alice Ross Page A

didn’t even get off the starting block.’
    Max raised a curious eyebrow.
    ‘Marriage. The twins. I started going out with Paul in my final year. Fell pregnant just after graduation. Not planned, I hasten to add.’
    At Max’s sympathetic expression, words began tumbling from Julia’s mouth. Words, she realised, she’d never vocalised before.
    ‘I don’t know what happened really. As pathetic as that sounds, I was just so shell-shocked having these two tiny beings relying on me for survival 24/7 that I couldn’t think about anything else. My head was full of semolina until they were about eight. In the meantime, Paul’s career took off and mine fell at the first hurdle.’
    ‘It’s not too late,’ said Max. ‘You’re still young. You could pick it up again, couldn’t you?’
    Julia shook her head. ‘I wouldn’t know where to start. I’ve tried to keep my hand in. Reading Spanish books, listening to Spanish radio via the internet when no one’s around. That kind of stuff. But where to begin turning that into a career, I wouldn’t have a clue.’
    ‘Yes, you would,’ countered Max. ‘The Julia I knew could have done anything she wanted.’
    Julia heaved a heavy sigh. ‘That girl’s long gone, I’m afraid,’
    ‘Not from where I’m sitting.’
    The sincerity of his tone, and the tender way he was looking at her, caused a strange tightening sensation in Julia’s chest. Her breath grew shallow. She glanced unseeing at her watch. ‘I’ve really got to go,’ she said, thrusting herself to her feet.
    Max nodded understandingly. He stood up and pulled out a business card from his back pocket. ‘It’s been good to talk.’ He pressed the card into her hand. ‘Give me a call if you’d like to do it again. Or we could go out for dinner.’
    Convinced her legs were about to cave beneath her – either that or she was about to have a coronary – Julia took the card and, with shaking hands, shoved it into her handbag. ‘I don’t think so. But thanks,’ she managed to croak.
    Julia drove back to Primrose Cottage on automatic pilot, diligently stopping at red lights, allowing a lorry to pull out in front of her, and swerving to avoid a roving pheasant. But she was aware of none of it, her head abuzz, yet again, with thoughts of Max. It really was incredible how, after all this time, he still made her feel so at ease. So special. But, on second thoughts, maybe it wasn’t so incredible after all. Their young, uncomplicated love had been so unique, so precious. And Julia had thrown it all away, based on nothing more than her own insecurities …
    ‘Do you really think you and Max will still be together when you finish uni?’ her friend Marie asked when the two of them were out shopping just weeks before the start of the university term.
    ‘Of course,’ replied Julia. ‘Why wouldn’t we be?’
    Marie shrugged. ‘Loads of reasons. New people, new interests, that kind of stuff. My cousin, Tracey, had been going out with this guy from being fourteen and they split up after just one term apart.’
    At the partaking of this unwanted snippet of information, Julia had the sensation of someone throwing a bucket of ice-cold water all over her. ‘Oh, look at these trousers,’ she exclaimed, desperate to change the subject. ‘I think I’ll try them on.’
    Thankfully, the diversion worked and they didn’t return to the matter of Marie’s cousin. Because, as much as Julia attempted to convince herself that she and Max were different – the bond between them earthquake-proof – a small part of her still had doubts.
    ‘Just because other people split up, doesn’t mean we will,’ Max assured her later that evening, when they were sitting in her back garden. ‘We have something very special.’
    ‘I know,’ agreed Julia. ‘But you might meet someone better than me. Someone prettier. And certainly cleverer.’
    ‘In my eyes nobody is prettier or cleverer than you,’ countered Max. ‘So please shut