5. Julian
JULIAN
I t’s been three days since Tyler dropped Sawyer and her mom at the hotel. And it’s been three minutes since I’ve last thought about her.
On the outside, she looked and seemed so helpless. Nothing to her name. Completely traumatized.
But then when I spoke to her mom, I realized how fucking tough she was. She was going to go through one of the biggest mass murder events in recent history and carry on with life as usual. She told her mom not to come because she knew she couldn’t afford it. She didn’t have her purse, her wallet, her phone, but she told me not to pay for anything.
And it made me want to do it all that much more.
I check in with my contact at the university a few times a day. Being that I’m the school’s biggest donor, I get a lot of perks. I also ask that he makes sure it does not get out that I was on campus.
All the victims have been identified. He’s sending me the list.
And as I scroll through it, I see the name.
Lucy.
I know there are probably multiple Lucies at Carrington, so I ask him to check who her roommate was.
Sawyer Willis.
Fuck.
I sigh in the backseat of the car, swiping a hand down my face.
I open the contact for her phone and send a text.
Checking in on you. It’s been a few days.
I see the dots pop up, then disappear, then pop up again.
It’s Julian, by the way, I send back. Took the liberty of adding my number to your phone, in case you need anything.
Thank you so much, she sends back. Lucy is dead.
I know. I’m so sorry, Sawyer.
Dots, then no dots. Then dots again.
My mom has to go back tomorrow.
I know. A car will pick you guys up to bring her to the airport tomorrow around eight.
You don’t have to do that.
Stop, Sawyer. Keep my number. Text if you need anything. Anytime.
The next morning, as Tyler is getting ready to take the elevator down to the car, I stop him.
“I’m riding with you,” I say. He gives me a confused look. “I want to meet her mom. Check in on them.” He nods without questioning me, and we go down to the car.
When we pull up outside of their hotel, I reach for the door.
“I’ll get them, J,” Tyler says. “You’ll be spotted here.”
He’s not wrong. We got them a suite in the Grand Hyatt right above Grand Central Station. We just pulled up in a blacked-out Escalade. Eyes are already on us. And it’s not like I’m not used to being noticed, and normally, I don’t let it faze me. But right now, it does, because I’d be drawing them to her. Not only do I not want to do that to her and her mom, but I also don’t want anything connecting me back to that campus. I can see the headlines now, the requests for interviews.
Billionaire escapes mass shooting.
Julian Everett narrowly escapes gunman.
No.
Thirty-three people are dead.
So as much as the chivalry in me is dying to get out, I let Tyler greet them and get the door.
And when Sawyer sees me, I see her eyes widen and her shoulders instantly loosen.
“H-hi,” she says with a faint smile.
“Hi, Sawyer,” I say as she climbs in, scooting to the back of the SUV.
“You’re here,” she says, just above a whisper. I smile.
“I am,” I say. “I wanted to check in on you. And meet you, Emily.”
Emily climbs in and takes the seat next to me as I stick my hand out to her.
“Oh, my gosh, Mr. Everett. It is?—”
“Julian, please,” I say, cutting her off. She smiles, and then I see tears in her eyes. She springs across the seat, pulling me in for a long hug. Her perfume smells delicious, and this might be one of the best hugs I’ve ever gotten. I let her sit for a moment, feeling her body move up and down with little sobs.
“Okay, Mom,” Sawyer says, “let him breathe.” I chuckle as Emily lets me go and sits back in her seat.
“I’m sorry,” she says, wiping her eyes as Tyler pulls the car out. “I just… I’m so grateful that you were there when you were. You’re like…you’re like her guardian angel. You will never know how thankful I am.”
Sawyer looks down at her hands and clears her throat as I look back at her.
“No, ma’am,” I say. “She was my guardian angel.”
Her eyes lift to mine, and they lock for a moment.
The rest of the ride, Emily is peppering Sawyer with questions. What will she do until classes start back? Is she sure she doesn’t want to come home with her? Is she sure she’ll be alright?
“Emily,” I say, interjecting just as we are pulling into the airport, “I promise you that I will stay in touch with her. She’s not alone over here on the East Coast—I promise you that.”
I look back at her and wink as I reach out and squeeze Emily’s hand.
I don’t know why I feel responsible for her, but it’s more than that. I also want to be there for Sawyer. I want to know she’s okay.
“Thank you,” Emily whispers as Tyler opens her door. Sawyer scoots out of the car, and Tyler closes the door to give them some privacy as they say their goodbyes.
“I’ll see you over Thanksgiving?” Emily says. Sawyer nods. They hug one last time, both wiping tears, and then Tyler opens the door again for Sawyer. And as we drive away, I reach over and squeeze her hand.
“Have you been in touch with any of your friends any more?” I ask cautiously. I know it’s obviously a sensitive subject.
She nods.
“There’s a vigil on campus in a few weeks,” she says. “A few of us are supposed to be going together.”
I nod.
“That’ll be good for you to all be together,” I tell her. There’s a little bit of a silence, and then I tap her shoulder. “I meant what I said to your mother, Sawyer. You’re not alone.” Her eyes meet mine again, and she nods.
“Thank you, Julian,” she whispers, although I know that, right now, all she feels is probably alone. “They’ve canceled classes for the rest of the semester. Eight weeks of no classes to distract me. That’ll be interesting.”
I think for a moment.
I can think of a few things to keep her busy…
God, I’m a pig. What the fuck is wrong with me? She’s sad and vulnerable and alone—no. She might be sad and vulnerable, but she won’t be alone. I’ll make sure of it.
“Did you have anything you wanted to do for the rest of the week?” I ask.
She laughs and shrugs. “I don’t get out much,” she says. “And things cost money. So I typically just lay low. Most of my friends are still with their families. We’re not allowed back on campus until Saturday, so I was just going to hang at the hotel.”
I nod again.
“Do you want to be alone?” I ask her.
She cocks an eyebrow. “As opposed to…?”
“As opposed to not being alone,” I say with a half-smile.
She fights a smile and clears her throat. “I mean…don’t you have, like…a few hundred businesses to run?”
I laugh. I pull my phone out of my pocket and dial Natasha.
“Hey, Nat,” I say when she picks up. “Do me a favor. Can you rearrange some things today? Uh, actually, all of it. I need the day. Yep. That’s fine. Thank you,” I say, hanging up. Then I look over at her. “The few hundred businesses can wait.”