Chapter 10
Julian
I frown when my personal phone starts ringing. I come into work on Saturdays because it’s quiet and I get a lot more done than during the week.
Seeing it’s Falcon, I answer, “Hi, what’s wrong?”
“Do I only call you when somethings wrong?”
“Yes.” I lean back, a smile forming on my face.
“I’ll change that, but first, we just got a call from the security team at Trinity. Someone has broken into Jamie’s suite. Mason, Lake, and I are on our way to deal with it. I just thought you should know.”
Frowning, I get up from my chair. “Have them check the campus’ security footage. I’ll meet you there.”
“Don’t worry, you don’t need to come.”
“I’m already on my way. See you in ten minutes.”
I cut the call and jog to the elevator. Once I get to my car, I wonder whether I should let Carter know. I don’t want to cause him unnecessary worry.
I stop my car right in front of The Hope Diamond and getting out, I walk over to the head of security who’s talking to other members of his staff.
“What happened?”
“Mr. Reyes,” his eyes widen with shock from seeing me here, which is no surprise as I let Falcon and the guys deal with everything regarding Trinity. “Miss Truman reported a break-in, but nothing’s been taken, and there’s no sign of forced entry.”
Stephanie comes walking out of the dorm, and with a nod to the head of security, I turn away from them.
“I’ve made sure the press doesn’t get wind of what happened,” she says before I can ask. This is why she’s so valuable to the company. You never have to ask her to do anything, she just takes care of problems as they arise.
“And the break-in?”
Stephanie shrugs, which is unusual for her. “It doesn’t look like someone broke in, Julian. Jamie says all her stuff has been moved around, but nothing is missing.”
What?
“Maybe it’s another student playing a prank on her?” Stephanie offers her thoughts.
“Is Falcon up there with her?” I ask.
“Yes, and Mason and Lake are there as well, along with the girls.”
“Good, then I’ll head back to the office. Thanks for taking care of this,” I say as I begin to walk back to my car, upset that I rushed over for nothing.
The rest of my weekend is uneventful until I walk into the restaurant on Sunday for dinner.
Being the last one to arrive, I have no choice but to take the open chair next to Jamie.
“Evening everyone,” I greet as I sit down.
The group responds, and out of courtesy, I glance at Jamie. “Is everything okay after the break-in?”
“Yes, thank you. It was just weird.”
“Probably a prank.” I turn my attention away from her only to meet Mason’s eyes. He smirks, which has me shaking my head.
Much to my ire, Kingsley stares dreamily at Jamie and me. “You guys would make such a good-looking couple.”
I’m still searching for words, when Jamie responds, “Hell no. I’d rather remain single for the rest of my life, thank you very much.”
I should be thankful that she’s trying to put an end to the subject, but feeling offended, I say, “You were never an option, to begin with.”
“Ouch,” Layla jumps in.
“This looks so familiar,” Lake adds. “It feels like I’m watching Mason and Kingsley again.”
“Right?” Mason asks. “I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed.”
“Noticed what?” Falcon asks, glancing between Jamie and me.
“This went south fast,” Jamie mutters under her breath to me.
“All because you couldn’t keep quiet,” I lay the blame at her feet.
She turns in her seat and scowls at me. “Do you ever take accountability for anything in your life?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, the irritation in me growing at rapid speed.
“You’re so quick to blame me for everything. Ever thought that it takes two to tango?”
“Tango?” Lake asks, yanking my attention back to the group. A smile begins to form around his lips. “Who tangoed with who?”
“No one,” I snap, and where it used to work in the past, it has zero effect now because Lake’s damn smile just keeps getting bigger.
“Ooooh… did something happen we don’t know about?” Kingsley joins in.
I let out a groan, knowing there’s no way of stopping this trainwreck from happening.
“Something happened,” Falcon says, leaning forward and resting his arms on the table. “Care to share, big brother?”
I let out a hopeless chuckle, shaking my head.
“Fine, I’ll take the fall for this one. But the next one is totally on you,” Jamie says. I turn to her, and before I can do something stupid like slapping my hand over her mouth like a damn kid, she blurts it all out, “We had a one-night-stand, and it traumatized Julian. He’s been a jerk ever since.” She gives me a pleased grin. “Oh, don’t tell my family. I’d rather leave that bomb for Julian to drop.”
Holy shit. There’s no stopping this woman.
Is she fucking insane?
The waitress interrupts us to take our drinks order. “Whiskey,” I manage to say without growling.
“You should bring a bottle, it looks like he’s going to need it,” Jamie interjects next to me.
Locking eyes with her, I growl, “Could you stop?”
“Why? It’s the truth. I’d drink if I could, but I can’t.”
“Like that has stopped you before,” I bite out.
Once all the orders have been placed, I glance around the table, then snap, “Can we talk about something else?”
“Why?” Kingsley asks. “This is so much more fun.”
“I agree,” Falcon adds, a wide smile on his face.
Lake begins to chuckle, which means he’ll soon be laughing his ass off at my expense.
“I’m confused,” Lee says. I suppress letting out a groan because she’s the quiet one in the group, and if she starts asking questions, I know the others won’t shut up. “Did they spend a night together?”
“Yeah,” Lake answers her. I keep forgetting Lee is still getting used to our ways and language, which is why Lake explains, “One-night-stand means they slept together.”
“Thanks for explaining that,” I mutter sarcastically.
“You told us you weren’t interested in Julian,” Kingsley puts Jamie on the spot.
Raising an eyebrow, I look at Jamie.
She gives me a too-sweet smile. “I meant it. One mistake was enough for me to learn the lesson.”
I clench my jaw as she throws my own words back at me.
“This is the denial stage, right, Lake?” Mason asks.
“Yep, and by the look of it, it’s still in the beginning phase. We caught the show in time.”
“What would Mason say right now?” I ask, then giving Falcon, Mason, and Lake a glare, I say, “Fuckers, the whole lot of you.”
Lake begins to laugh, and soon, Falcon and Mason are wiping tears from their eyes.
Even though my entire personal life has just been pulled apart at the table for all to see, I can’t help but smile as well.
It feels like I took another couple of steps forward in repairing my relationship with the guys.
“Why are you smiling. You know they’re laughing at you, right?” Jamie whispers, so only I’ll hear.
“At us,” I correct her. “They’re laughing at us because that’s how ridiculous the whole situation is.”
“Didn’t feel ridiculous when you almost took off my head,” she mumbles. “Or when you went down on me.”
“Fuck, could you not talk about that where people can hear?”
“Why? They already know,” she challenges me.
Leaning closer, I say, “Not the sordid details, Jamie. Have a little bit more class.”
She lifts her chin. “The only time I lacked class was when I accepted your offer.”
Shaking my head at her, I take in the way her eyes shimmer and the constant grin on her face. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
She nods, and closing the distance between us even more, she murmurs, “Almost as much as the orgasms you gave me.”
I lock eyes with her, and it makes the same intensity and anticipation from the night we met, rush back to life.
“Just an inch more, and they’ll be kissing,” Lee says, making me pull back from Jamie.
I didn’t even realize the guys stopped laughing to watch us whisper.
“Let’s change the subject, please,” I say, and I smile gratefully at the waitress when she brings our order. Taking a huge sip from the tumbler, I feel the relief as the amber liquid burns down my throat.
“Is that really what Mason and I looked like?” Kingsley asks.
I suppress another groan and instead take another sip of Whiskey.
“You guys were much worse,” Layla answers. “We expected blood to flow.”
“Blood did flow,” Lake reminds them. “Remember when Mason got into a fight, and Kingsley walked out of it with a busted lip?”
“Oh, right.” Layla shrugs and gives Mason and Kingsley an apologetic look. “Didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”
“It’s okay,” Mason says, and when he notices the confused look on my face, he explains, “I used to get into fights with West. During the one fight, he fell against Kingsley and busted her lip open.”
West Dayton.
“Who’s West?” Jamie asks.
“The man who slammed into the back of Jennifer's car, causing her death,” I murmur deep in thought as I’m dragged back to the past while the conversation continues around me.
I remember the last time I saw Jennifer. She and Mason had come over for dinner so we could discuss our wedding plans.
I can still remember how silky her blonde hair felt between my fingers. I still remember how her smile used to brighten any room she walked into.
I still remember, and it still hurts.
I take another huge sip of my drink, and when I feel a hand squeeze my arm, I glance down with surprise. My eyes dart from Jamie’s hand to her face, and seeing compassion there, makes me feel a little better, a little less alone.
An uncomfortable silence has settled around the table from bringing up West’s name.
Giving my forearm another squeeze, Jamie says, “I’m sorry for your loss. It never gets any easier.” A sad expression makes her eyes look like deep pools of water. “I lost my parents when I was young.”
I didn’t expect her to open up about herself, but I find myself interested in hearing about her past.
“My dad died before I was born, and my mother when I was six. Della and I lived with Sue until she passed when I was fourteen. That’s one thing a person can never get used to.” She smiles sadly, and this time, I’m the one to reach for her hand under the table, just wanting to offer her the same compassion she gave me.
Jamie’s eyes dart to mine when I squeeze her hand, and for a moment, it feels like we’ve buried the hatchet.
At least for today.
Chapter 11
“Hello, beautiful. Have you missed me? I sure have missed you.”
Jamie
Things have been hectic with classes and assignments. Having just finished a paper, I make sure to save the document before I close my laptop.
Stretching out, I get up from behind my desk and grabbing a smoothie and fruit cup from the fridge, I go sit on the couch. I switch on the TV and go to Netflix so I can watch an episode of V Wars before I turn in for the night.
Midway through the episode, I begin to feel sick. The dizziness and nausea remind me of the food poisoning I had, and I quickly check the expiration date on the cup of fruit I just ate. When I see it’s not the fruit, I check the smoothie and then wonder what I could’ve eaten during the day that would make me feel so ill.
I only had pasta earlier when I had lunch with Layla and Kingsley. Reaching for my phone, I’m unable to pick it up the first time. The second try I manage, and I struggle to see through my blurring vision as I search for Layla’s number.
Pressing dial, I bring the phone to my ear as I lie back down on the couch.
“Hey,” Layla answers, sounding cheerful.
“Hi, are…” I swallow hard on the nausea, “are you feeling okay?”
“Yeah, why?”
“I feel sick like I have food poisoning again.”
“Oh, no. You want me to bring you something?” she offers.
“Please.”
“I’m with Falcon. Give me twenty minutes, and we’ll come by.”
“Thanks.”
I drop the phone back on the coffee table and stare at the TV even though I can’t see much with my vision blurring.
Waking up, I feel absolutely horrible.
“Jamie?” I hear Della’s distressed voice.
I force my eyes open and wonder why Della’s so worried as she stares down at me, her face tearstained from crying.
Feeling drowsy and nauseous, I clear my throat first, then ask, “What’s wrong? Why are you here?”
Della shakes her head and cupping a hand over her mouth she lets out a strangled sob.
Carter comes into the room, and it’s only then I realize I’m not in my own bed, Glancing around my heartbeat speeds up when I see I’m in the hospital.
“What happened?” I ask, trying to search my mind for any clues.
Not answering my question, Carter comes to stand next to the bed, placing his arm around Della. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine… I think.” Confused, I wiggle my toes and work my way up my body. My arm feels stiff and tender, and it has me glancing down. Seeing the bandage, I ask again, “What happened?”
Della swallows past her sobs, then asks, “Why would you try to take your own life? Why didn’t you tell me things were too much? I would’ve been there for you and let you come home.”
What?
“I didn’t,” I say, confusion and fear whirling in my chest.
Looking at Carter and then Della, I know this is serious from the deep worry on their faces. I sit up and stare down at my bandaged arm.
The last thing I remember is working on my assignment.
I shake my head and look up at Carter and Della again. “I wouldn’t try to commit suicide. Something else… someone else…”
It feels as if ice is being poured over me as my thoughts begin to race.
What’s happening?
Was I attacked, and I can’t remember?
Della sits down on the bed and takes hold of my hand. Her trembling fingers skim over the bandage, and she struggles to keep from crying.
“Layla and Falcon found you. They said you called saying you weren’t feeling well. When they got to your suite, you didn’t answer, so they had someone open the door for them. They found you in time. Why would you do it, Jamie? Why hurt yourself? Tell me what’s wrong, and I’ll fix it.”
I shake my head, not understanding anything, and feeling frustrated.
“Why would I call Layla if I was going to commit suicide? I didn’t do it, Della. Something else happened. Did I slip and fall? Maybe I had an accident. I can’t remember anything.”
“A razor was broken in pieces and found next to you.” Carter’s voice falters, and he leans over me, wrapping his arms tightly around me. “How can I fix this? How can I help you?”
I hear the agony in his voice, and it makes tears spill over my cheeks.
“You can believe me,” I whisper, starting to feel desperate because they’re not hearing what I’m saying. “You can believe me when I tell you that I wouldn’t try to take my own life.”
I cry in Carter’s arms as a hopeless feeling weighs down on me. It’s too heavy, and unlike anything I’ve felt before.
I’ve always had someone, even when I lost my parents and
Sue.
Della never doubted me before.
Carter thought the world of me.
And I just know whatever happened changed all of that. It shook Della’s faith in me and changed how Carter sees me.
Carter pulls back, and his eyes search over my face. It gives me a glimmer of hope, so I say, “I wouldn’t do such a thing, Carter. I’ve been feeling sick lately. Maybe I was drugged?”
A dark look settles hard on his face, and usually, I’d steer clear of him when that happens, but right now, it fills me with relief.
“I’ll ask them to check for drugs,” he says, and it fills me with relief.
“Thank you.” I throw my arms around him again, hugging him as tight as I can before he leaves the room to go talk with a nurse.
“I shouldn’t have left you alone,” Della says as she reaches for my hand again.
“You can’t watch over me for the rest of your life,” I try to offer her some comfort, not wanting her to feel guilty. “You have children, Della. They come first.”
“I know,” she agrees, but the tears in her eyes tell me my words doesn’t ease her guilt at all.
Carter comes back with a nurse, and I’ve never been so glad to let someone draw my blood.
The results will show it wasn’t me.
I just needed a little more time.
Damnit!
Jamie
The doctor just left, and all I can do is stare at the bandage around my arm.
No one believes me.
The doctor looked at me as if I was wasting his time and said a Psychiatrist will come to see me.
“We’re just going to check on Danny and Christopher. Miss Sebastian should be here any second,” Della says, the worry not easing from her face for a moment.
“I’ll be fine. I don’t need anyone to babysit me,” I whisper, feeling exhausted and desperate for answers.
“Jamie!” Miss Sebastian cries as she pushes the door open. She barrels at me and engulfs me in a tight hug. “Oh, my God. I’m so sorry. I should’ve checked on you more. I’m sorry.”
Julian (Trinity Academy Book 4) Page 6
