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I open my mouth to tell him I’m happy to have him home again, but my phone rings in my pocket, distracting me. John’s name lights up the screen and I die a little inside. If it was literally anyone else I’d just ignore it but I can’t. Showing the screen to Jules, she pushes me toward the front door.
“Go, I’ll be right here,” she says with an understanding smile. Battling down the petty doubts trying to choke me, I give her a halfhearted smile and head outside.
I press the green answer button the second I step through the door.
“Hi John.”
“Hey, Mateo. Sorry to bother you, but we had two guys get injured today. Nothing too serious, but I’m stretched thin for the next two weeks. I really need you Monday if I can get you.”
I hesitate for a second. I know I’ll have to go to work at some point and trust that Julia will be ok. I hate that I don’t know where things will stand with the doctor by then, but if he still hasn’t been arrested… I’ll have to figure something out.
“Yeah, I’ll be there.”
“Great, we got your paperwork filed with the state. I’ll have Dillon send details and get you up to speed over the weekend.”
“Thank you, sir.”
He hangs up, and I grip the phone in one hand, scrubbing the other over my face. Damn. The last few days have been nothing short of spectacular, but I guess Jules and I really don’t have a choice when it comes to rejoining the land of the living. They’re going to drag us back kicking and screaming.
Walking back into the bar, I’m already irritated and the sight that greets me is nothing short of blood boiling. Javier has his head thrown back, laughing at something Julia said. Then he’s leaning in, trying to get her attention, and even though she’s giving him the cold shoulder, I’m still steaming.
Fuck this.
I storm across the bar, forcing myself to be careful and patient as I wind through the partygoers. My heart is pounding in my chest, raging at me to get her away from him. She looks up as I head their direction, giving me a smile that quickly turns confused as her eyes roam my face.
I step between them, my back firmly in my brother’s smug face.
“You ready to get going?” I ask her.
I just don’t want to deal with this crap anymore. If I only have the weekend before we have to go back to reality, I don’t want to waste another minute here with my brother.
“We just got here…” Julia’s brow furrows, and she tilts her head as she places her small, warm hand in mine. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
Julia’s eyes are wide, her mouth serious as she looks up at me… worried.For me.She thinks something happened on the call. I don’t think it’s even crossed her mind that I’d be jealous. Because it’s ridiculous that I am.
That one little look is enough to make me realize what an absolute idiot I’m being.
23
Julia
Iwatch Mateo stalk toward the front door, phone in hand, and hope that it’s just a quick call. I feel like my heart is getting tugged out the door with him.
“Lookin’ good, Jules.” Javier takes my hands, holding them out so he can look me up and down like a piece of meat.
“Thanks, Javier,” I say, getting my hands away from him as smoothly as I can. His hair falls in his eyes and he brushes it back, a smug look on his face like he’s waiting for me to say something. Once upon a time, I might have blushed or gotten flustered, but now… I almost feel sorry for him. He’s such a shallow, pale imitation of Mateo. Everything about him just feels like a sad pretense, from his over-stylized hair to his tacky shoes. Not for the first time, I’m deeply disappointed in Younger Me for her terrible taste.
I smile, not because I’m happy to see him but because I’m so deeply delighted that seeing him does absolutely nothing for me. While I know there was once a simpering, easily impressed, naïve chunk of me that found him fascinating, it’s long gone now.
I look toward the front door, hoping to see Mateo rejoining us at any second.
Not taking the hint, Javier leans toward me conspiratorially. “So… what’s up with you and baby brother?” He’s smirking like this has to be a big joke. “I’m just surprised, that’s all. I never pictured you with someone so… stiff.”
Oh, man. Every word out of his mouth is pushing me closer to the edge of violence, but I keep my smile plastered on my face. “It’s a nice change, actually. There are a lot of… floppy guys out there.”
Javier throws his head back, laughing like I’m the funniest woman on the planet.
I roll my eyes and turn to leave, to go find Mateo, but I spot him heading toward us already, weaving through the crowd. I give him a relieved smile but feel it melting down my face when I see the expression on his. He’s positively storming. His eyes are dark under his furrowed brow and his jaw, he’s clenching his jaw so hard I’m afraid he’s going to crack a molar. The worry creeps higher and tighter in my chest as he approaches, and I can read his face better in the dim light.
