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36
Elizabeth
Julianna stares at the front door of the home she shared with Christopher as Brenden steps outside to put some things in the rental car. I know what’s coming before she even speaks.
“Okay, I can’t stand it any longer,” she whispers.
“What?” I feign ignorance, keeping my focus on pulling her books from the built-in shelves.
There’s been some noticeable tension with Brenden today. Last night left things a little strained between us. Which I’m sure has been super uncomfortable for Julianna.
“This awkwardness between the two of you,” she scoffs, waving her hands around as I turn to look at her. “You’re barely speaking to him, and you’ve been avoiding his stare all day. Yesterday, he took every opportunity he could to touch you. Today, he’s acting like he’s afraid to get too close to you. What the hell happened last night?”
My body tenses, the air in my lungs stilling. This isn’t something I want to get into right now. We left the hotel so early this morning, I haven’t even had a chance to talk to Brenden about what went down. Not that I have a clue what to say.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
She steps over to me, yanking the book from my hand. “I heard you leave last night. I know you went to his room.”
I shake my head, dropping to my knees next to the box full of books. “Nothing happened.”
It’s not a complete lie. Or…the whole truth. My eyes squeeze shut as the events of last night replay in my mind, my chest burning with embarrassment.
I spent hours tossing and turning, my thoughts solely on Brenden. It was one in the morning before I mustered up enough courage to go knock on his door.
She squats down in front of me as I open my eyes. Reaching out to place a reassuring hand over mine, she says, “You can talk to me, Lizzy.”
I meet her gaze and smile. It’s unbelievable that she’s trying to comfort me while she’s in the middle of packing her life in boxes. “Thank you, but I’m fine. I’m the one who should be worrying about you right now, not the other way around.”
“Oh, blah,” she mutters, standing back up as she waves me off. “I’m great. Don’t waste your energy fretting over me.”
Julianna is notoriously brave and strong. But as much as I want to believe she’s fine, my gut is telling me she’s in a lot more pain than she’s letting on. My heart is breaking for her.
Before I can press her any further, Brenden walks through the front door. My head spins as my eyes land on him, any thoughts I had evaporating. He looks so freaking good in his damn leather jacket. It definitely adds to his intimidating factor, which worked in our favor today. Christopher showed up an hour ago with roses, trying to get Julianna to talk to him. I can only imagine the look on his face when Brenden met him at the door and refused to let him near her.
Julianna clears her throat, making me realize Brenden and I are staring at each other. “Well…there are a few more things upstairs I need to get.”
My stomach drops as I watch her jet up the stairs, leaving me alone with Brenden for the first time today. I turn my attention back to the box in front of me and use my shaky hands to organize the contents, ignoring my racing heart.
“How long are you going to pretend like I’m not even here?” The sharp bite in his tone causes me to freeze as he steps over to me.
I wipe my clammy hands over my jean clad thighs, the lump in my throat making it hard to speak. “I’m not.”
“No?” he questions, holding out his hand to me.
I place my hand in his and allow him to pull me to my feet in front of him. When I still don’t meet his eyes, he cups his hands around my face, tilting it until my eyes meet his. His beautiful gray eyes look tired and strained, causing my stomach to knot with guilt.
“Please don’t do this, Lizzy,” he pleads. “If you want me to erase everything that happened last night, I will. But don’t do this. Don’t push me away. I can’t stand it.”
“I…”
My words fail me, and I try to look away from him, but he keeps his hold on me.
“I’m sorry,” I say on a hiccup, my eyes filling with tears.
“Sorry? Sorry for what?” he demands through heavy breaths.
“I shouldn’t have come to your room last night. It was a mistake.” My stomach churns with regret the second those words pass through my lips. I didn’t mean it.
