14. Julius
JULIUS
Ithink she did that shit on purpose to scare the hell outta me. It took Dad forever to convince me that she was just sleeping, but now he and my idiot brother have decided that they will not help me in the future, all because I told them both to get bent once I was sure she was okay.
I don’t know what happened there. It was fine when she was passed out, and I was focused on my fear of losing her. But once the danger had passed, I realized they were too close to her. Granted, they’re doctors, and that’s what they do, but that shit felt like an unbearable itch under my skin.
I felt claustrophobic, which I’m not, and for a few seconds there, I almost tore my brother’s throat out for getting too close to the bed where she laid. In the end, they both ended up giving me shit like this; irrational family bullshit was my doing.
My phone rang as I sat next to the bed watching over her, and it was only then that I remembered the meeting I was supposed to attend earlier today. A meeting I myself had pushed for for the past six months. Whatever!
“It’s me!”
“Mr Blair, this is Mr. William’s secretary, please hold the line.” There was a slight pause before the other man came on the line.
“Blair, what’s going on? You ran me to ground for months, and now that I’ve agreed to meet, you don’t show up?”
I looked at the girl in my bed and felt no regret about the billion-dollar deal I just lost out on.
“Sorry about that, my fiancée became ill, and I couldn’t leave her.
” He didn’t say anything for the first few seconds, and I was surprisingly unfazed.
If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Even though it turns out that she’s not sick, that panic I felt earlier still lingered. There’s no way I could’ve left her to go to the meeting, no matter how important it once was. “So, you walked away from a billion-dollar deal.”
“Yes.”
“Fine! I’ll have the contract signed and delivered first thing tomorrow.”
“Excuse me?” He laughed at my surprise.
“I have a wife and two daughters, trust me, I know how it is when one of them is under the weather. In thirty years, I’ve never left my wife’s side if she’s sick.”
I waited for the catch. As far as I know, the stalwart businessman has always been known for his cutthroat business acumen.
I’ve never heard of him being sentimental where family is concerned.
“You’re serious!” This old man better not be playing me.
It’s true I preferred working with his company over others, but there was nothing stopping me from making the deal with someone else.
“I’m very serious. I like to know the people I’m working with have something more than money going for them.
The fact that you were willing to give up this lucrative deal to take care of your loved one says a lot about your character.
I look forward to working with you, and I hope your fiancée gets better soon. ”
JESSICA
Huh, missed a business meeting to sit next to my bed, did you!
The phone ringing had finally woken me up, but I didn’t open my eyes right away.
I listened to his end of the conversation and pieced it together.
I ignored my heart’s glee for the time being and the way it made me feel knowing that he’d done that for me.
“I know you’re awake; you can stop pretending now.” I let my eyes slowly open as I turned on my side, facing him.
“What’re you yelling about?” Damn, I hate to admit it, but I feel better than I have in years. I looked at my watch and saw that it was almost five in the evening. I slept for a solid twenty hours or thereabouts.
I sat up and stretched to get the kinks out, and this one was already in my face. “Here, drink this. I’ll go bring you something to eat.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“I didn’t ask. Go get cleaned up, I’ll be back in a bit.” I bet you’ll find me exactly where you left me, and I’m not eating shit.
“I know that look, and you can forget it. I’ll force-feed you if I have to. Or I can call your Dad and ask the good doctor why his daughter is almost malnourished.”
“Ooh, you’re going to ask Chase Thornton that? Use my phone.” I picked it up from the night table and held it out to him. This ought to be good.
He called my damn bluff, this bastard. I sat in awkward surprise as he called to berate my Dad. I waited for the yelling to start on the other end, but instead it turned into the two of them ganging up on me. He put the phone on speaker so I could get a damn inquisition from my parents.
If looks could kill, he’d be dead from my glare. I gritted my teeth and answered my father’s questions, which were more of a minefield than anything else. “Did you know she slept for twenty hours today because she hasn’t been sleeping well?”
“Oh? How long have you had insomnia, baby?”
“It’s nothing, Dad, I’ve just been working a lot lately, and the time got away from me.”
“And not eating? How can someone with your resources have malnutrition?” Bastard, who the hell are you throwing under the bus?
“Actually, this all started a few years ago, when this stronzo rejected me in a very hostile way. It’s been giving me nightmares ever since.” The look on his face was priceless, especially when my Dad started asking for the name of this soon-to-be-dead person.
He looked at me with this look of horror on his face, and I almost felt sorry for him.
“Is that true?” He said the words low enough that no one else would hear.
I didn’t answer, just rolled my eyes at him.
“It doesn’t matter, Dad, that person is of no importance. I’ve forgotten all about him long ago.”
That bastard walked over and lifted my face with his finger under my chin. I should’ve known what he was up to when he stood there looking into my eyes without saying a word. Then he leaned down and kissed me, with my father on the phone.
I moaned. “What was that?” Dad asked. I thought Julius would release me, but instead, he deepened the kiss.
Game on. I bit his lip, which made him jump back and out of the way.
“Ooh, Daddy!” That one had him turning off the speaker on his phone real quick.
I don’t know why he was giving me death glares; it’s not like I asked to be here.
He hung up the phone and came back to the bed ready to rip and roar, but I just batted my lashes at him, which seemed to irritate him for some reason. “You think you’re funny?”
“I didn’t know I was trying out for the comedy club.” Bit off more than you can chew, you bastard.
Shit, I was supposed to do something this evening. A quick look at my watch told me I still had two hours left. “I’m going to take a shower. Take me out to eat. You’d better hope they packed me something nice to wear.” I slid out of bed and headed for the shower, not giving him a chance to speak.
“Clingy men are so annoying.”
“Who are you calling clingy?” Uh, you. Who was it that chose my clothes while I was in the shower, then insisted on blow-drying my hair, like I haven’t been doing it myself since the age of twelve? Now you’ve been stuck on my ass like glue since we left the house.
He was going to cramp my damn style. I’ve been planning this night for a week, but nowhere in my plans did I see this blockhead making an appearance.
He didn’t just open the car door like a normal person; he put his arm over the entrance so that I wouldn’t hit my head.
I wonder if he thinks this is my first time in a car.
He'd chosen jeans and a silk top for me to wear and sneakers, which I exchanged for heels because I was going for a certain look for this upcoming confrontation. I didn’t want to look too hot, lest that other jackass think I was trying to impress him.
Wait, it doesn’t feel right putting those two on the same level.
Eh, since when do you care? One of them is dead to you, and the other you have chosen to ignore his existence, same thing.
But somehow it felt different, and that pissed me off.
I’m not about to go soft just because he’s been sappy ever since I woke up.
He’s acting as if I have some incurable disease.
“Where did you want to eat?”
“I’ll put the address in your GPS.” Dale should be arriving at his usual place right about now. It’s the same place he’s been hanging out every Friday night after work. His colleagues will be there as well, which makes this all the more interesting.
Come to think of it, this might not be so bad after all. Not that I need a hot guy on my arm to prove a point, but it can’t hurt. The more I thought about it on my way to the restaurant, the more I liked the idea. If this nut ever finds out I’m using him, he’d probably lose his shit, though.
He keeps showing up in front of me in ways I’m not familiar with. I’ve never seen this side of him before, caring, almost doting, hah, too late. I’ma use that to choke the living shit out of him. He doesn’t know it, but my heart is surrounded by a moat made of ice, and he’s the last one I’d let in.
“If you’re really good, I’ll let you screw me when we get back.” He almost ran off the road.
“What the hell did you just say?” Ooh, why you mad? When I wanted to give you my sincere heart, you trampled it, as if I would give you another chance.
“You heard me. I mean, I’ve screwed other people for less, what’s one more?” That’s right, you’re no different from my ex, same dog, different breed. His face was like Mount Rushmore, stony.
I haven’t felt this happy in a long time.
That happiness didn’t last long. I thought he pulled over because he’d almost run off the road and needed to collect himself, but instead I found myself being choked out in the front seat of his Phantom. “You mention fucking someone else in front of me again and see what I do to you.”
Bet! I tried to snap his wrist, but he was way ahead of me and countered my move. “Get your damn tongue out of my mouth.” There wasn’t much room in the car for the knock-down, drag-out fight that ensued, but I gave it my best.
My best got me a sore neck and swollen lips. “Now sit there and behave like a good girl, or that time I was planning to give you will die a quick death.”
I’m not your damn puppy, what the hell do you mean sit there and behave?
I know how to pick my battles, but I also know that I am not equipped to fight crazy.
“Your parents should’ve had you committed.”
“Yeah, and you would be in the ward next to mine. Shut your trap and let me concentrate on the road.”
“In a hurry to get to the restaurant? Doesn’t matter, we’re already too late for the early bird special.” Like I’m about to let you win an argument.