Until You (Westshore Series #2)

01 | The Gretchen Ivey Curse

Authors Note: A quick note before this story. This story takes place three weeks after the epilogue in pretending. You can read this as a stand-alone but if you want to understand the background of any of the characters or the love story between Warner and Juliet you can read pretending first! All of them are in their senior year now :) Thanks for reading and Supporting , I love yall <3

☾ Hailey ☾

I am having one of those days. The kind of day where I'm living in a cartoon and I'm the Road Runner, speeding from one place to another without a single opportunity to sit down or breathe.

Well, technically I do a lot of sitting in my morning classes, but it's not relaxing since all I can think about is my meeting today. My meeting with a Western University alumni who now runs her own Family Law Practice, Western being my dream law school
I applied to this summer.

I practically sprint to the meeting trying not to sweat too much, the last thing I need is to show up with armpit stains on my shirt.

I arrive at the building, take my first full breath and greet my favourite professor who is waiting outside. Professor Wilson is the one who set this meeting up for me, she gives me a big smile and the weight on my chest lessens. She believes in me, I can do this.

I allow myself to be led by her into a room with a short, gray-haired woman dressed in a boxy pastel suitcoat over a pair of black pants. The outfit is rather blah, but the diamonds sparkling in her ears are larger than my thumb. Also? She seems too friendly for a professor of law. I always envisioned them as dour, serious creatures. Like me.

"Amelia, let me introduce you to Hailey Gomez. She's the student I've been telling you about. At the top of her class, holds down two jobs, and managed a one seventy-seven on her LSATs." Professor Wilson turns to me.

"Hailey this is Amelia Wane, family law extraordinaire."

"So nice to meet you," I say, holding out my hand and praying to God it feels dry and not damp. I practiced shaking my own hand for an hour leading up to this.

Amelia grips me lightly before stepping back. "So, you've applied to Western? That's what Mrs. Wilson has told me?" Her bright eyes sweep over me, and I resist the urge to fidget with my cheap Target clothing.

"Yes, I have." I smile brightly. Western is the top law school in the country, and I'm scared she sees right through me. My cheap clothing. My plastered on smile feels unnatural.

"From all that Mrs. Wilson has shared, it sounds like Western would be honored to have you."

"It would be my honor to be a Western student, ma'am."

"Acceptance letters are being mailed out soon." Her eyes twinkle with mischief. "I'll be sure to put in a good word." Amelia bestows another smile, and I nearly faint in happy relief.

I wasn't just blowing smoke up her ass. Western really is my dream. "Thank you," I manage to croak out.

I don't even have time to celebrate the meeting going well and how I didn't even throw up on anyone from nerves. I had my final class of the day which I was already running late for. Luckily my friend Juliet from class was holding a seat for me. She was actually my only friend in the entire program, I have been told I am quite competitive, so people tend to be a bit afraid of me.

Juliet isn't afraid of me though. She thinks it's funny and that's why I love her. She also happens to be one of the sweetest girls I have ever met. Like a real-life Disney princess, I could always feel the kindness radiating out of her. She knew the difference between right and wrong and was prepared to step in for anyone weaker than her.