24. Julia
CHAPTER 24
Julia
The cabin looks like we never left. Rocco immediately makes himself at home, putting his feet on the coffee table like he owns the place.
“Shoes off the table.” Max snaps. He’s been high-strung the whole ride here.
“Alright, chill out, coz,” Rocco says, hands up in surrender as he kicks off his shoes.
While they’ve let Rocco go, for now, I know they’re still watching his movements like a hawk. They might not have enough to go on, but all it would take is another piece of evidence, and this whole thing will come crashing down like a house of cards.
“They told me not to leave the state in case they need to question me again.”
“They said the same to me.”
Max paces in front of the windows so many times I fear he will leave a permanent line in the carpet.
“We’re supposed to be leaving for Sicily. Now, what the hell are we supposed to do?”
“Calm down, we planned for this. We lay low. Pretend that Julia and I here are an item and wait out the cops until it’s safe to go.” He winks at me, and I stifle a chuckle, knowing it’s just to piss Max off.
“If you think I’m going to be okay with you and Julia?—”
“I’m right here,” I say, hands on my hips. “And you agreed to this plan, Max.”
“Cousin, you know I would never take your girl.”
“Fucking right, you won’t.” Max quips, arms crossed along his broad chest.
Everything is so complicated. And I still have loads of bills that I need to pay. The time off from work is dwindling to a close, and to top things off, Max said he and his cousin are planning to leave for Sicily. I don’t know where I fit in with all of this. All I know is that I’m desperate to see him free. Even if that meant he’d be living somewhere without me. We can at least enjoy our time together now while we still can.
A loud knock comes from the door, and the three of us freeze.
“Shit,” Rocco exclaims, scrambling off the couch to hide.
The knock comes again—louder and more persistent. The car is right outside, so it’s not like we can pretend we aren’t here. I go to open it up, and Max shakes his head no. I ignore his command and am met by a mace-wielding Tasha.
“Holy fucking shit!” She says, launching herself at me with a mace clutched in her hands.
“What the hell?”
Snow clings to her hair as she grips my arms tightly. “What the hell, me? What the hell, YOU! You disappear on me, and I see your location go to a motherfucking prison without so much as a ‘hey I,I’m alive’ text. Then you’re back up in this dingy cabin.”
“Dingy?” Max scoffs.
She points the mace at him. “I will use this.”
He puts his hands up in surrender.
“Now, are you okay?” Tasha looks at me, and I feel like a shitty-ass friend for leaving her out of the loop. Of course, she would traipse after me, making sure I’m okay.
“I’m fine, I promise. You can put down the mace and get inside. It’s freezing.” I step aside and Max’s jaw is tight with tension.
Tasha breezes in, scanning the place like she’s on the lookout for an unseen threat, when she spots Rocco. He gives her a wolfish smile and prowls toward her. “Who’s this?”
Tasha turns to me, mouth dropped. “You sly little slut. Are you doing them both?”
Max is quick to respond, “No.” Just as Rocco says, “Yes.”
Tasha’s eyebrows go up as she looks between the three of us.
An unspoken conversation seems to flit between the two cousins before Max concedes. “Fuck it. Fine. Yeah. That’s what’s happening.”
Tasha eyes me, and I grab her by the wrist and drag her into the upstairs bedroom. Once I close the door behind me, she shoves my arm hard. “You bitch. You better spill.”
I stare into the concerned eyes of my best friend. She knows me better than anyone. But if I tell her the truth, then I’ll be putting her in danger. Even her being here is dangerous in and of itself. The thought of something happening to her because of me causes my stomach to churn. So, I lie to the one person I’ve always been truthful with.
“Well, that’s Rocco, Max’s cousin. And you know, funny story, the cops completely mistook him for that CEO killer, you know, the one we were talking about, but see, Max introduced us, and it was an instant connection. They wanted to share, and I couldn’t make up my mind, so I thought, why not both.” I’m rambling, and she fixes me with the most withering stare, calling me on my bullshit.
“I should slap you right now for that load of crap you just tried to feed me.” She says, crossing her arms and lifting her professionally sculpted eyebrow. She knows me far too well. I should have known I wouldn’t have been able to hide shit from Tasha.
“Fine. But listen, I don’t want to put you in a bad position, and that’s the only reason I lied to you just now.”
“Jules, are you in trouble?”
I bite my lower lip, unsure of how to answer. “Define trouble.”
“Fuck. They did it, didn’t they? They killed that CEO, and you’re covering for them.”
“I…how did you?—”
“Jules, please. I’ve known you since we were teenagers. You remember that guy you had a crush on during freshman year. He was caught stealing the answers for the Algebra test because his sister had been sick, and you tried to help him get out of it?”
“Yeah.” I lean my head against the wall.
“You have a soft spot for bad boys doing things for a noble cause. Always have. That’s why you’re constantly falling for the morally gray villains in those books you read.”
I roll my eyes. “Don’t knock the smut. I’ll get you hooked on it one day, and then you’ll find yourself lusting after a fictional man yourself, and I’ll laugh and say I told you so.”
A moment of silence passes between us. The weight of my actions laid bare before us.
“I’m sorry,” I say, meaning it wholeheartedly. Tasha has been there for me more than anyone, especially after my mom passed.
Tasha nods her head, accepting my apology. “You really like this guy, huh.”
“Tash. I think I love him.”
“Well, shit.”
I let out a laugh. “Yeah.”
“So, the cousin?” Her eyes are wide, and I know that look. God help Rocco. Once Tasha has her mind set on someone, there’s no escape.
“He’s free. I’m only his alibi.”
“Hmm.” She taps her nail to her chin. “Well, let’s not keep those boys waiting.”