The After of Us (Judge Me Not #4)

The After of Us (Judge Me Not #4)

S.R. Grey



Can the ending of one dream lead to the beginning of a new one?

Will Gartner made a lot of mistakes in the past, but he finally has his life together. Leaving his reckless teenage years behind, he’s recently graduated from college and is all set to move from Las Vegas to New York to start a prestigious new job. But when an unexpected guest shows up at his farewell party, all Will’s dreams are smashed to pieces. Suddenly, he’s taking a crash course in how to be a father to the five-year-old daughter he never knew existed.

Will changes direction and heads to Harmony Creek, Ohio, and the only person who’s ever really been there for him, his brother Chase. Chase saved Will in the past, but will he rescue him yet again? Some lessons—like fatherhood—can only be learned by doing. Is Will up to the challenge?

And where does Emma Metzger fit into Will’s suddenly upside-down world? Emma knows all about his troubled past and sees his hesitation to commit to his new daughter. How can she commit her heart to a man who doesn’t know what the word means?

Chase always told Will “Follow your heart. Always try to be a good man.” But will following his heart be enough for his daughter, and for Emma?

The After of Us is a story about letting go of old dreams, and, in the process, discovering what you really needed to make you happy was right there in front of you all along.

The After of Us is a spin-off of the Judge Me Not series and a standalone novel.





Will



“College graduate, that’s me.”

It’s so hard to believe that I have to utter those words again, out loud, one more time. And then I need more, just to make it really real.

Leaning my head back to stare up at an azure-blue sky, I rise up in the seat of the nice, new BMW convertible I’m driving and scream as loudly as I can, “I’m a goddamn college graduate, motherf*ckers.”

Take that, all you pricks who didn’t believe in me.

I jerk the wheel back just in time to keep from veering off the road, and thus into vast desert nothingness. But yeah, once I’m back on track I think about how no one thought I’d succeed. Not my ex-girlfriend, Cassie, not my mom, and certainly not my stepdad, Greg. I should mention that Greg’s not technically my stepdad. Dude never bothered to “officially” adopt me. Not that it matters, not anymore. I’m about to turn twenty-two.

I’m all grown up…and a f*cking college grad, as established.

As I hit the gas, the Mojave Desert becomes a hazy blur, my great trek to Las Vegas almost near its end. Yeah, good ole Sin City is where I’m headed. So many Californians take this trip for pleasure. But me, I’m going home.

I estimate I should hit the state line in about another hour—maybe less, at the rate I’m flying—then I’ll be back in my home state of Nevada. Of course, I won’t be there for long. I’m all set to fly to New York City at the end of the week.

Shit, I have to laugh. I’m a goddamn coming-home success story, if ever there was one. That’s right—I, Will Gartner, former f*ck-up extraordinaire, have not only graduated from a prestigious college—with honors, no less—but I’ve also lined up a sweet-ass job in the largest city in the country.

As of next Monday, a week from today, I’ll be putting my fancy new graphic design skills—some taught to me at college and others I just have an innate talent for—to work.

And for fat stacks, no less.

When I arrive in New York I’ll have a couple of days ahead of me in which to settle in, which is good. Gotta get myself set up in the cool apartment I think I want. If I back out, though, it doesn’t matter. Mom and Greg have me booked in some fancy Manhattan hotel for however long I need.

Still, what I really want is to do this shit on my own from day one. It’s time to cut the ties to my past and quit relying on other people to do shit for me, especially when I can manage things for myself. This is the new me, you see: A Will Gartner who is finally free.

Funny how I don’t feel so very free.

I guess I’ve always seen myself as more of a freelance kind of artist. My dream was once to publish a comic book line, one I created a long time ago. I used to hope maybe I could turn my early work into a graphic novel, and possibly create a whole series from there. I dreamed of bringing to life in vivid color the characters on my sketch pad, praying one day they’d be seen by others, even if it only ever turned out to be a few.

Oh, well. Guess I’ll learn to adjust and be content with the knowledge that my ad work will be viewed by thousands—probably tens of thousands.

Should make me feel good, right?

Yeah, it should. So why is it I feel like nothing but a sellout to corporate greed?

“Quit thinking that stupid idealistic shit,” I chastise myself. “Get real.”

Refocusing on my itinerary for when I arrive in Vegas, I ponder the one last blowout I plan to have at my parents’ house. Not that I’ve done much planning on it, but the groundwork is set. Mom and Greg are gone, so they aren’t a factor. My folks took off for an extended three-month vacation, following my graduation ceremony. That means they won’t be back for several weeks. Those two are always traveling, jetting from one place to the next. They were so anxious for this trip to begin that they flew out of LA on Saturday, the day of my graduation. In fact, they even had me drive them to the airport that very night.