Being Julia (Forever Trilogy #4)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

J ulia, it’s time for dinner,” my dad yelled up the stairs.

“I’ll be right down, Dad,” I said as I closed my laptop.

I walked downstairs and sat down just as Mom put the breaded chicken plate on the table. Collin sat down shortly after I did and took a sip of his milk. My mom finally sat down and smiled, letting us know that it was okay to begin eating.

“Have you talked to Hailey?” she asked as she looked at me.

“I talked to her yesterday. Why?”

“Peyton said she’s been a little down lately and thought maybe she mentioned something to you.”

I cocked my head and gave her that, “I’m sorry, but if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you, look.”

“No, she hasn’t said anything to me,” I said.

Once convinced that I knew nothing, she darted her eyes to Collin. “What about you? ”

“Uh…no. Why would she tell me anything?” he asked as he tore into his chicken.

“I’ll talk to her tomorrow, Mom.” I smiled.

“Thank you, Julia.”

My ears drowned out the voices of my family's conversations because my mind wouldn’t stop thinking about Brody Sullivan and his hot, muscular body. There was nothing I wanted more than his strong arms wrapped around me.

“Hello? Earth to Julia,” my dad said.

I snapped out of my fantasy world and looked at him. “What, Dad?”

“Where were you?”

There was no way I could tell him I was dreaming about Brody because he was so protective. I was the only sixteen-year-old on the face of the planet who had never been on a date with a boy. But all that was going to change very soon.

“I’m right here, Dad,” I replied with a sarcastic grin.

“I know you’re right here, Julia. You’re physically here, but your mind was somewhere else.”

“No, it wasn’t,” I said as I shook my head.

My mom put her hand on my dad’s, and he sighed. I got up from the table and put my plate in the sink. As I headed upstairs, Collin came up behind me.

“Hey, sis,” he said.

“Yeah,” I said as he stepped into my room and shut the door.

“I heard Brody talking about you today in school.”

“Shut up! What was he saying?” I asked.

Collin sat on my bed and looked down at the floor. He was a really sweet kid, and even though I was older, he made it his business to look out for me.

“Well, what did he say?” I asked in anticipation.

“He said that he thinks you’re hot and wants to take you out,” Collin replied, looking up at me with the same eyes my father had.

I squealed as I jumped on the bed in excitement. Tingling sensations were shooting through my body as the thought of dating Brody Sullivan invaded my mind.

“Julia, he’s bad news, and I don’t think you should go out with him. He’s slept with almost every girl at Constantine Prep. He’s a user, and I don’t want you to get your hopes up. Plus, Dad will kill you!”

“I know how many girls he’s slept with, and it doesn’t matter. I’ve had my eyes set on him for over three months. Dad isn’t going to find out, is he, Collin?” I asked as I gave him a stern look.

He got up from the bed and shook his head. “No, he won’t find out from me.” He walked out of my room.

I picked up my phone, sat on my bed, and called my best friend, London.

“Hey, Julia. What’s up?” She answered.

“Guess what? Collin just told me that Brody Sullivan thinks I’m hot, and he wants to take me out!” I screeched into the phone.

“Shut the hell up! Collin knows this for sure?”

“Yes. He overheard him talking in school today.”

“You’re so lucky, Julia! I would kill to get into that boy’s pants,” she said.

“Hands off, London.”

“I know.” She sighed.

London Fitzgerald and I had been best friends since she moved into our building six years ago. She practically lived at my house because her family was so dysfunctional. Her father was a big-time lawyer and a partner at one of the biggest law firms in New York called Melbourne, Fitzgerald, and Holloway. Her mother was an alcoholic who usually started her day off at eight a.m. with a glass of orange juice and vodka. Her father had multiple affairs, and they fought non-stop.

She loved spending time at my house because of my mother and father's relationship. Sometimes, it was really embarrassing because they couldn’t keep their hands off each other, and they’d have make-out sessions in the kitchen. London wished her family were like mine. She said she could feel the love every time she walked into the penthouse. Mom and Dad spoiled her as if she were their daughter. They felt sorry for her because of her crappy home life. I felt bad for her too, and I was sure it was the reason for her being so promiscuous. She only wanted to be loved.

I sat down at my desk and opened my laptop. I had so much homework, and it was all due tomorrow. There was no mercy at Constantine Prep School for Girls. I was working on my calculus when a friend request on Facebook came through. I clicked on it and gasped when I saw it was from Brody Sullivan. My heart started racing, and it felt like someone had turned up the heat in my body. I accepted his request, and as I not so patiently waited to see what he’d do next, I sent a text message to London.

“OMG! Brody just friend requested me on Facebook!”

A few seconds later, she replied.

“No way! He’s so into you! I can’t wait until school tomorrow!”

I stared at my screen, waiting and tapping my fingers on my desk. Suddenly, a message from him popped up.

“Hey, Julia. Thanks for accepting. I was wondering if I could have your phone number.”

My heart was still pounding as the butterflies in my stomach fluttered around like they were high. I placed my hands on the keyboard and typed in my phone number. A few seconds later, my phone beeped.

“Thanks for your number. I was wondering if you wanted to do something tomorrow after school.”

Excitement overtook me. But I needed to remain calm and not show too much excitement. I waited five minutes before I sent my reply.

“Hey, no problem. I would like to hang out after school.”

“Awesome. I’ll meet you outside of Constantine’s tomorrow. Then we can decide what to do.”

“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I replied with a grin.

What could I say about Brody Sullivan? He was an eighteen-year-old godly creature who attended St. Matthews Prep School for Boys, which sat next to Constantine’s. His short, light brown hair with messy bangs swept to the side and bright blue eyes, which drew you into him, were just a couple of things that made him incredibly sexy. His flat, washboard stomach and muscular arms resulted from him working out at the gym every day. His father was a Chief Risk Officer on Wall Street, and his mother was a jewelry designer who owned a high-end jewelry line. He had a “playboy” reputation, but as I saw it, he just hadn’t found the right girl yet. I was about to change all that and him.