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“I didn’t like you because my Juli Bug felt the need to hide her relationship with you from me. That told me there had to be something about you she thought I should condemn.”
“But she was only worried about the white thing,” I started, making him lift his hand and shake his head.
“I know, I know. I realize that now. And I’m sure that’s my fault. I took my work home with me too often. She no doubt heard me make some comments in the past that sounded pretty bad. My job is to hunt down instances where a minority has been mistreated. But I’ve also seen it happen the other way around. I’ve seen some awful things come from all kinds of people. It never fails to shock me how cruel the world can be.”
I glanced toward the direction of Julianna’s hospital room, where she currently slept, battered and bruised. “Yeah,” I said, feeling that kind of shock myself.
He smiled sadly and patted my shoulder. “But I’ve also seen some amazing things, some heart-touching things where two completely diverse groups have come together and made miracles happen. That’s what impresses me most, you know, when two complete opposites mix and create something grand together, using both of their unique backgrounds to accomplish one goal. And yet...”
He shook his head as if ashamed of himself. “That’s exactly what made me wary about you. You were too flashy. Everything I learned about you from watching your Vine channel and the salutatorian address that was posted on YouTube at your high school graduation, it all told me you didn’t mind being the center of attention.” Then he shrugged. “My Julianna dreads attention.”
I nodded, knowing this. “Yeah,” I said. “Her biggest fear is having someone look her way and see anything less than perfect.”
“Exactly,” her father agreed. “I was so sure that her being with you would drag her into some spotlight she despised, and then you’d leave her floundering there because you came across as the kind of person who cared more for yourself than anyone else. You’d just flitter off, abandoning her, as soon as something else caught your attention. I couldn’t see how you could be any good for her.”
“And now?” I had to ask, holding my breath as I waited for his answer.
“And now,” he said with a weary sigh. “I’ve watched you put her needs before anything else. I’ve seen you take care of her like a man tending to his wounded mate. And I’ve finally come to realize you two have formed one of those unique, diverse alliances that impress me most. I think your flamboyance is just the thing to offset her structured ways. You’re exactly what she needs in her life.”
I shook my head, unable to accept his acceptance of me. “But he never would’ve gone after her if I hadn’t gotten into that fight with him.”
“Son,” he said in that strong, powerful voice of his. “You were defending my little girl. Don’t ever stop doing that. And excuse my language, but bullshit he chose her because of you. He chose her because he was full of hate. If he hadn’t taken her, he’d have taken some other black girl he came across, and she might not have been able to handle herself as well as my Juli Bug did. You did well. Believe that. Always.”
JULIANNA’S CHAPTER | 36
Chad’s words were flowing through my head as I came awake.
We’re all basically the same. We smile when we’re happy, cry when we’re sad, eat when we’re hungry, sleep when we’re tired.
Then I pictured Colton weaving his fingers through mine and examining the contrast we made together, like piano keys.
And then the strange dream was gone. I was suddenly awake, afraid and frozen before I realized I wasn’t in my concrete cave anymore. And I wasn’t even cold. I was in a bed with lights and warmth and soft blankets and pillows.
A rustling sound made me tip my face that way and open my eyes to watch Colton hang a dream catcher in the window. His back was to me, so he didn’t know I was awake yet. It gave me a moment to glance around the room and take in the fact I was still at the hospital. An IV was hooked to my arm and something seemed to be wrapped around my head. I lifted my sore arm and bandaged fingers slowly to feel silk with a top knot plastered to my forehead.
He’d gotten my head scarf and my favorite dream catcher from home.
It made me smile and love him even more.
“Looks good,” I tried to tell him as he fiddled with the dream catcher, spinning it to make it hang so I would see it from the front view and not the side it kept trying to twist and hang from.
He immediately whirled around, dropping his arms.
“Hey, you’re awake.” His smile, the very smile I’d wanted to see most when I’d been held prisoner, spread. He hopped down from the chair he’d been standing on and grabbed my cup from the tray to hand it to me.
I took it and began to gulp, before I sighed, refreshed, and asked, “How did you know I needed a drink?”
His eyes crinkled with amusement. “You were licking your lips. I figured you were either thirsty or you’d gotten too much of a thrill from checking out my ass while I was hanging your dream catcher.”
I swallowed a more healthy-sized gulp before saying, “Now that you mention it, I did enjoy watching your ass.”
He winked and his lips twitched into a grin. “Of course you did, baby doll. Who wouldn’t?”
“Conceited much?” I murmured, though I didn’t think I’d ever loved him as much as I did in that moment. I’d just survived the worst three days of my life and there he sat, making me smile, genuinely smile.
Tears filled my eyes, and they weren’t distressed tears...or at least, they weren’t all distressed tears. I was just so happy and grateful to be alive, out of that hole, and with him again.
More tears flooded my cheeks. My chin quivered because I tried so hard to stop them but couldn’t. “I love you so much,” I sobbed.
