9. April
“We’re going to the nearest doctor to get this thing cut off.”
I stared at Julian for a moment, processing his words. “You’re joking, right?”
As we walked through the lobby of the hotel, he took a moment to glare at his cast. “I’m serious,” he hissed. “It’s coming off today.”
I figured he had to be messing around, or maybe he was just in a bad mood...still. We’d been in LA for two days, and his mood had gotten progressively worse. I gathered that it had to do with being stalked at every turn, as well as being a hot topic in the sports world.
Word had gotten out about his injuries, and everyone wanted the tea straight from the horse’s mouth. People figured out what hotel he was staying in, and we were practically attacked by a reporter as we exited the Ritz-Carlton this morning. The man shouted questions at Julian as we hurried to the chauffeured car.
“Julian, will you be sitting out the entire hockey season?”
“Do you think this is a sign that you should retire?”
“What about your endorsement deals during this time?”
One particular question had gotten Julian really heated. “Hey, who’s the girl? Is that your new lady?”That one pissed me off too. I didn’t want to be a hot topic with Julian, as his
“new lady.” I wanted to defend myself but luckily, I’d swallowed my outrage and my need to vehemently deny that I was Julian’s anything.
“No, the cast is not coming off,” I firmly told him. “You need six to eight weeks to properly heal. You’ve only gone one week in the cast.”
All I got in response was a scowl. We reached the elevator and reached for the button at the same time. The slight brush of his fingers against mine made me gasp and pull away as if it burned. Julian dropped his hand to gaze at me with raised brows, and my face burned with embarrassment. It happened again. We both reached for the button simultaneously, and I pulled away with an annoyed growl.
Julian’s deep chuckle sent irritation shooting through me. I glared at him. At least one of us found our awkward moment amusing. “How about you let me press the button?” he suggested.
“You’re injured.”
His brows drew together. “It’s an elevator button, April, and I’m hardly handicapped.” He held up his right hand. “Besides, I’ve got one good hand left.” A teasing smirk formed on his lips. “So I can still open the elevator door for my new lady.”
“Don’t even joke about that,” I snarled and stomped ahead.
Snickering, he joined me, standing way too close, so I shuffled further away. Of course, that made him laugh harder. I rolled my eyes. He took nothing seriously.
“Good to see you’re back in good spirits,” I murmured, watching the posh hotel lobby disappear behind the elevator doors. We were the only ones on board, and it got super quiet. Uneasily quiet.
Sighing, Julian said, “Relax. I already have my manager on PR duty. By this evening, the world will know that you’re my nurse and that’s it.” He glanced my way. “I’m sorry about that, by the way. I should have warned you that being seen with me would bring you unwanted attention. The masses tend to speculate when they see me with any female.”
I couldn’t blame him for other people’s assumptions, could I? Shrugging, I said, “It’s fine. I was already aware of the risk.”
Julian’s expression went dark. “Being near me is a risk? Ouch.”
I rested a hand on his arm without thinking. “Hey, you know what I mean. No offense.”
We both stared at my hand on his arm. Registering my huge mistake, I snatched it away. His eyes remained locked to the area of contact. “Yeah, I guess I know what you mean,” he muttered, then went quiet.
He didn’t say another word until we reached our floor and the door slid open. We strolled to our rooms...no, our suites. We had two suites on the top floor. Of course, we would. The private jet should have altered me to the fact that we’d be staying someplace lavish. Most girls could get used to the expensive linen, gorgeous marble floors, and luxurious bathrooms but not me. This was Julian’s life. I didn’t fit into it. In a matter of weeks, we’d part ways and I wouldn’t see him again, probably for another decade. Funny thing was, I’d kind of miss Julian. We’d been in each other’s company for just a few days, but he has been growing on me a little. Sure, we bickered about the silliest things, but he wasn’t all that bad. Of course, I still resented him, and a part of me wanted to know if he held on to some resentment too...
“What do you want for lunch?” he asked, taking me by surprise.
“You don’t have to worry about me.”
“Nonsense, I have you galavanting about―according to you―so I have to feed you.”
A smile tugged at my lips. “So you want to have lunch...together?”
He lifted a brow. “Is that a problem?”
Eyes narrowed, I considered. “You brought me to your business meeting.”
“And?”
“It wasn’t necessary. Now you want to share a meal.”
We stopped in front of his door, and he frowned. “Are you implying that you’re tired of my company already?” he asked, using his key card to open the door.
“Why do you sound so bothered by that?”
“I’m not,” he said, yet, he still wore that frown.
“Are you okay, Julian?”
Blowing out a breath, he stepped inside. I hesitated but followed him because I assumed our conversation wasn’t over. He sauntered to the mini-bar and grabbed a bottle of something that looked like alcohol.
“Julian,” I reprimanded.
“For the love of God,” he growled. Hanging his head, he groaned. “I forgot. Damn those medications. Can’t even have a stiff drink to take the edge off.”
“Was your meeting that bad?”
“No.” He rubbed his brow.
“You’ve been like this all morning. Very crabby, I mean. That’s not how you usually are.”
One eyebrow elevated. “And you know me so well?”
“I know enough.”
Julian snorted derisively and flopped down in a chair. “I’m sorry, I’m being a dick.”
“No more than usual.”
His jaw slackened. “Seriously?”
I shrugged. “You really want me to answer that?” All I got in return was a glare. Rolling my eyes―I rolled my eyes way too much when he was around―I sighed. “Do you want to talk about what’s really bothering you or not? I’m pretty sure it isn’t the cast.”
“I’m surprised you care.”
Hands on my hips, I regarded him with annoyance. “I try to be nice, and yet you still choose to be difficult.”
Silence covered the room like a blanket as we had a stare down. My mood took a turn for the worse, and there was a fire gathering in Julian’s eyes. His blue irises darken with irritation, and I lift a brow. He was irritated with me? Shouldn’t that be the other way around?
“I don’t need you to try to be anything to me,” he snapped.
“Okay...since asshole Julian is back in full effect, I”m heading back to my room.” Throwing one last glare in his direction because I just couldn’t help myself, I marched to the door. I needed time to compose myself, get my temper in check so I could go back to being his nurse. I didn’t know what I was thinking. Why was I trying to be more than what he hired me for? I didn’t need to try to be his friend. Julian Grayson and I couldn’t be friends. There was no need to show any interest in his personal life. Whatever he was going through, it was his problem, not mine.
“Yeah, I’m always the bad guy.”
I ignored him and kept walking.
“You know what I could never figure out?”
His question made me stop at the door. Slowly, I turned around. “What?”
His brows furrowed. “How is that you always been so quiet and sweet with everyone but me?”
My eyes virtually bulged out of their sockets. I gawked at him as if he was another life form. Was he for real? “You have got to be kidding me. You’re blaming me for being a bitch to you when you’ve literally been the bane of my childhood.”
His mouth opened and closed and I almost laughed at the image in front of me. Finally, he returned, “The bane of your childhood? That’s a little much isn’t it?”
It was my turn to be shocked. Tapping my head, I threw at him, “I was right, wasn’t I? You’ve taken too many hockey pucks to the head. Clearly, you’re suffering from memory loss. Well, Julian, I remember everything crystal clear. You were a massive dick to me for as long as I can remember, and I could never figure out why.” I registered the rise in my voice and felt my temper escalating. I had to stop to take a steadying breath.
I swear, the way he managed to provoke me all the time was disturbing. It wasn’t me. Or maybe it was the real me who hid behind a serene facade that kept others from seeing my true, deep feelings of insecurity and anger. I was angry deep, deep down. Pissed at my mother, my dick of a father, the stupid kids of my miserable past who teased me because I withdrew a little from the real world to cope with my sadness. Julian incited some heavy emotions, and I disliked him for it. Hit with the realization after about twenty-three years later, I was horrified. I needed to get out of here. I took another step back closer to the door, closer to my escape.
“Because you thought you were better than me, that’s why.”
My jaw slackened. What? That was the most ridiculous and untrue thing I’d ever heard. Why would he think that? How did we even get to this? Why on Earth were we arguing like we meant something to each other? “That’s ridiculous.”
“It’s the truth.” He shrugged. “So, I teased you a little to knock you off your high horse.”
“A little?”
“Hey, I recall you being equally vicious, if not more, Flower Child.”
I pointed a finger at him and glowered. “Call me that one more time…”
He lifted a brow. “Would you rather I call you Hippie?”
Grinding my molars, I reined in my temper. If he wasn’t already injured, I probably would have thrown something at him. Damn him! He always drove me to this. He opened his mouth or even looked at me, and I’d lose my shit. It wasn’t just because he made me face emotion I’d rather keep away either. It had a lot to do with me stupidly crushing on him since that first day of kindergarten when he held my hand and told me I’d be okay.
I’d been a confused, emotional five-year-old because even at my age, I knew things at home were going to shit with my parents fighting all the time. Julian thought I was crying because I was scared about my first day at school. The real source of my fear was the precariousness of my home life. He had no idea the comfort that hand and those sweet words brought me. I thought he was the cutest, sweetest boy ever...until he made other friends and became a complete asshole.
My shoulders sagged. Hippie. I’d heard that so many times. It wasn’t the words, it was the way the other kids said them and laughed after. “Call me whatever you like, you’re certainly paying me enough to. Besides, it wouldn’t be the worst thing you’ve ever done to me.” Nothing he chose to call me could ever compare to the broken heart he left me with on prom night.
He held my angry gaze for a while, the smirk fading from his lips. He shuffled forward, winced, and gingerly stood up. “Look, April about that night, I―”
“Doesn’t matter now.” I forced out a smile, remembering why I was there. To do a job because the money was great, nothing more, nothing less. “Call me if you need me. If not, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“April…”
I made my escape and closed the door before I did anything foolish like tear up in front of him. As I scurried to my room, I couldn’t help thinking how crazy it was for a boy to break a girl’s heart when they weren”t even in a relationship.