3. Julie
3
T here is not a cell in my body that looks forward to trading my white hoodie and yoga pants for the gold sequined cocktail dress hanging on my closet door.
It’s gorgeous, but it’s also a thorn in my side as it stares back at me.
Is it too late to call in sick?
My back settles into the pink soft duvet on my twin bed, a blue I Love LA mug filled to the rim with green tea and honey. The ceramic warms my palm, but it does nothing for the nerves swirling around in my belly.
I have to face Jason tonight.
After our meeting on Monday, it took me two days and a whole lot of yoga to get the edge out of my body, but that same nervous feeling has been crawling back up my spine since I woke up this morning.
I should have poured myself a glass of wine instead.
But I need to keep my head clear.
I wish we could go back to how it used to be between Jason and me. That undeniable trust that I had with him but lacked with Jacob is now completely destroyed.
He was my hero until I became his villain.
With my head resting on one of my pink plush pillows, I push a few buttons on my phone until a dial tone ricochets through my tiny bedroom and I meet my own gaze in the camera. I set another pillow on my lap, feet on the comforter and knees in the air before placing my phone on top of the soft cushion until a pretty face of betrayal pops up.
There’s the little traitor.
Kayla, the youngest member of our friend group, instantly narrows her doll eyes as she scans the situation around me. “Oh boy, tea, a hoodie, and a box of doughnuts. Rough day?”
I bring my mug to my lips, enjoying the warm liquid melting a little bit of the tension inside my organs before I give my friend an accusing eye. “I hate you.”
She winces dramatically, a hand over her heart. “Me?!”
“Yes, you. ”
Her wavy brown hair sways around her cheeks as she shakes her head like she’s in a shampoo commercial. “Sorry, but no. I’m like the last kitten of the litter, the baby of the bunch, all tiny, fuzzy and cute. It’s impossible to hate me.”
“Yet I still hate you.” I press my lips firmly together to prevent them from curling up at her dramatics.
“Sooo, this is a bad time to ask for some new NVS sneakers? Bodi heard rumors about some special editions.”
I just blink at her boldness.
“Fine. Humor me. Why do you hate me?”
She nestles herself into her white couch, getting comfortable until my words enter her ears.
“You couldn’t warn me that Jason is Ford Larson’s agent?”
She freezes for a nanosecond, then puts on a surprised look, probably thinking the guilt isn’t still dancing in her eyes.
“Oh my god! No way! What a coincidence!”
“Ugh!” I grunt. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
A sheepish grin comes my way. “Because I forgot?”
“Kayla!”
She rolls her eyes as her chest deflates. “Look, I’m not going to tell you I’m sorry because I’m not. You told me that signing Ford would help you get a permanent contract with North Viking Sports. The way I see it, who his agent is and whether you did or did not sleep with said agent and may have hit a rough patch in whatever secret relationship you two—”
“We are not in a secret relationship!” I interrupt.
“Well, it doesn’t matter.”
“Except for the fact that I now have to work with him . Starting with the NVS gala I have to attend tonight.”
I’m seriously regretting agreeing to the terms of my probation period.
It didn’t seem hard when we discussed it.
Produce Ford Larson into an asset for the brand and make him sign a multi-million deal to tie him to NVS for at least two years.
An outstanding athlete with the bad boy appearance and the heart of the perfect son-in-law. That’s what they want. That’s what I need to make him look like. All I have to do is make sure he keeps his reputation in check for the next couple of weeks and close the deal.
Easy peasy. Or so I thought.
Finding out Jason is his agent is going to make this a lot harder, because an angry Jason is like a hand grenade missing the pin. You know it’s gonna explode at some point, and when it does…it will blow you to pieces when you least expect it.
“All I heard was that you’re going to a party that you get to dress up for, and Jason will be there too. I don’t see the issue.”
Easy for her to say. She’s not on his shitlist. Nor has she been around long enough to know how stubborn he is when he’s angry. Which, in my case, is a fucking understatement. Jason Spencer is not angry with me.
He’s fucking livid, and it’s been making my stomach knot for days.
I take a chocolate frosted doughnut from the box and sink my teeth into it, a little disgusted with myself that I chose half a dozen doughnuts to be my dinner.
“He hates me,” I say with my mouth full, wiping the excess chocolate from the corner of my lips.
“I take it your first run in with Jason went well?” Her big brown eyes look way too cute as her thick lashes flutter while she’s sporting that forced smile of hers, and I almost let a smile of my own slip through.
It’s no wonder Kayla managed to make Bodi crack, no matter how persistent he was that she was too young for him. The moment she flips her gorgeous head of brown hair and flutters her lashes, combined with her sassy humor, you’re a goner.
She’s not old enough to drink, but she sure as fuck can convince anyone to do anything like she’s a seasoned salesman.
In fact, she should go into real estate.
“Ran into?” I swallow the sugary dough away. “More like he barreled over me like a tropical cyclone.”
Her head tilts with skepticism. “Come on, it’s Jason. He’s, like, the definition of golden retriever energy and nobody in the history of time has ever been scared of a golden retriever. Not unlike Jensen, who’d be a growling Cane Corso, or Hunter, who definitely has some Rottweiler vibes, you know, loyal to the bone, but definitely still with street cred.”
“You’re blabbing,” I tell her before I can’t resist adding, “What would Bodi be?” I quirk an eyebrow, suddenly picturing her dark headed boyfriend as a dog.
“Easy, an Australian sheepdog.” She quickly glances over her shoulder before moving closer to the camera. “Don’t tell Bodi I said that.”
I laugh, a silly idea of a dog family picture popping into my head before my mind rushes back to Jason.
If the roles were reversed, I’d probably would’ve said the same. He’s a good guy. The one with the big heart. The one your mother will love probably more than she loves you.
You can’t help loving him.
But now I’ve seen how he gets when you’re on his bad side. He’ll turn into a Pitbull, loyal to those around him, but a fatal bite if you push him too much. One single bite and his jaw locks, no longer capable of listening to reason.
“I’m serious, though, Kayl. He hates me.”
“First of all, what did we just discuss? A golden retriever isn’t capable of hating anything. Or anyone. Annoyed, sure. Angry at most, but hate doesn’t appear in his vocabulary.”
“He does,” I interrupt.
“He doesn’t. But second of all, you won’t tell me why he’s mad at you, so I can’t even properly tell you that you are wrong.” She sticks her nose in the air, feigning offense.
“Is that why you didn’t warn me?”
“You’re damn right it is! Besides, you two not talking is like living in an alternate universe. It’s weird as fuck, and the sooner this whole bullshit fight of yours is over, the better. I got a friends’ vacation to plan.”
“Friends’ vacation?”
“Yeah, I decided on the Bahamas. You, me, Charlotte, Hunter, Jensen, Rae, and Bodi. And Jason, ” she adds with a stern frown.
“I don’t see that happening any time soon.” It’s going to be a challenge to work with him side by side for the next couple of weeks, let alone hang out on a tropical island.
He’ll probably try to drown me in the ocean and claim it to be an accident, with a mojito in his hand and a perfect smile to back it up.
“Since I see you still refuse to share what happened, I have to go with my gut feeling. Jason doesn’t hate you. You two will kiss and make up in no time and we will go to the Bahamas.” The finality in her tone ignites a small smile, even though I won’t fall for her trap.
“He cornered me in the bathroom, told me he hates me, and then ordered me to fuck off,” I counter, resulting in a glare from Kayla, though it shuts her up for a few beats.
“Literally?” The smugness is replaced by surprise.
“Yup.”
“Jason did?”
“Yup.”
“Jason did? The guy who’d make it his sole purpose to cheer you up whenever his brother pisses you off? You’re not confusing him with his dickhead brother, right?”
Kayla never made it a secret she doesn’t like Jacob. Thought he was a snake from the moment he introduced himself to me , she said when I told her I wasn’t going to take him back a couple of months ago.
At the time, I laughed in agreement. Little did I fucking know how right she was.
I grunt, taking another sip of my tea with my eyes moving up to the ceiling.
“Yes, Kayla. Jason .”
“Damn. Ouch.”
Ouch doesn’t cut it. Just thinking about it, I’m still fuming that he’s ghosted me for weeks until I stopped trying. For not even hearing me out, but just jumping to conclusions, like I mean nothing.
Like I’m his brother.
I know what it looked like, but I always thought Jason knew me better than that.
“What the hell happened between you two that makes him hate you?” Kayla is rarely serious, but she’s dead serious now as concern paints the creases around her plump mouth.
“He thinks Jacob and I are still together.” I shrug, swallowing the pain in my throat away.
I thought I could handle seeing Jason again. I had prepared myself mentally, with the solid resolution to be friendly, giving him kindness, compassion, and mostly patience, because I understand I hurt him. But the way he ripped my heart out with his words and the venom in his tone? Dear Lord, I could have never prepared myself for that.
“Are you?”
“No.” Hell no.
I want to tell her everything. I want to tell someone, anyone . But I can’t risk it. It will destroy the people I love the most.
“So, why don’t you tell him?” Her gaze squints.
“It’s complicated.”
The more I think about it, the more nauseous I get.
I left North Carolina with fire on my heels, ready to sacrifice it all, and it hurt. It hurts to give up what I’ve worked so hard for, and it hurts that I haven’t spoken to my folks in two months.
It hurts like hell, even though I know I made the right decision. Working at NVS made it hurt a little less, like I was capable of adapting, bouncing back and getting back on my feet. But that whole escape backfired because now it doesn’t hurt less. It just hurts differently.
“Jules…” My name rolls off her tongue in a warning tone. “What did that dickhead do? He’s up to something, ain’t he?”
You have no idea.
“Please, please, please, Kayla. I can’t get into it. Not right now.” Her face only grows sterner with harsh lines around her mouth. “I promise I’ll tell you when I’m flying back home in October, okay?”
Her expression softens without judgment, even though I give her every reason to, and my lashes blink rapidly to hold back my emotions. “Look, you don’t have to tell me. I believe you when you say it’s complicated.”
Guilt dries my throat, and I take a sip of my tea to get rid of it .
It doesn’t work.
“But if you feel like you can’t tell everyone else because of the history you all share, then at least tell me. I’m a barely legal brat who just joined the club. I’m not fully fused yet. I can still pick sides without repercussions,” she jokes.
“You’re not legal,” I retort, chuckling as my doorbell reverberates through my tiny apartment.
Who could that be?
She waves her hand in the air. “Mwah, details!”
Our gazes tangle, a silent agreement forming, before a laugh escapes my chest. “Hold on, there’s someone at the door.”
“Maybe, it’s a hot delivery boy.” Trouble is written all over her cheeks.
“I haven’t ordered anything.” I head to the front door, making the rookie mistake of not glancing through the peephole, and pull it open with one firm swing.
My fingers tense around the phone, dangling beside my thigh while my lips part in a desperate attempt to keep breathing. Silver-gray eyes find me with a sharp and calculated stare, a sense of unease and vulnerability washing over me like a bucket of ice on a hot summer day.
“What the hell,” I mumble, blinking over and over.
I’m imagining shit, right? There is no way he hopped on a plane and is standing in front of my apartment that I tried so hard to keep from him.
“Hey, babe.” Jacob’s smooth, slimy voice jolts all my senses into high alert.
Shit, he’s real.
“What are you doing here?” I manage to croak out over the pounding pulse in my ears.
“Jules?” Kayla’s faint voice sounds hollow from below my waist. “What’s going on?”
In a wave of common sense, I lift my phone, never losing eye contact with the eerie man in front of me.
“Kayl, I’m gonna have to call you back,” I tell her, as a wide, unsettling smirk travels onto Jacob’s face.
“What? Why?”
His smooth jaw is freshly shaven, like always, his skin glowing from some kind of moisturizer. Unlike Jason, Jacob takes his appearance up a notch, always looking sleek with not one meticulous hair out of place.
Today is no different.
“Because the devil just showed up.”