Stay With Me, Julia

by Elle Linder

  It didn’t surprise her that Lauren’s parking spot was vacant. She would be at the inn, blissfully unaware of her arrival.

  The hike up the flight of stairs took every ounce of strength Julia could muster, carrying a one-ton weight of dashed hopes. She unlocked the door and dragged herself across the threshold, closing it with her backside and leaning against it. The thump of her overnight bag hitting the ground beside her did nothing to her comatose state. Everything seemed unchanged and exactly as she had left it—except now it was devoid of comfort.

  The mid-century Spanish apartment belonged to Lauren, who likened the complex to the show Melrose Place. Julia had moved in late last summer after breaking up with Trent. The bold style fit its audacious owner’s personality, with white furniture and vibrant splashes of blue, yellow, and red accents.

  On the walls was artwork celebrating her feminist sisterhood. A large painting of Audrey Hepburn hung above the fireplace. Regarded as a style icon, the strong and beautiful woman had a feminist attitude Lauren connected with on a deep level.

  Julia wandered over to the adored painting, and like dozens of times before, she talked to Audrey. “Can you believe this? What would you do in my situation? Probably never look back and cut your losses…” Julia had always believed she was like Audrey—an independent, caring, confident woman who wouldn’t take shit, much less stay with a man who cheated on her. Then Trent had happened. That’s when she’d learned she wasn’t as strong as she thought. And now Luke. She’d never felt more downtrodden and shattered.

  “I’ve picked some real winners, haven’t I?” She stared up at Audrey. Her lip spasmed as the floodgates broke open.

  Luke stormed into the lodge with a heavy foot and purpose, headed straight for Julia’s office. By eight o’clock in the morning, she hadn’t responded to his text. One way or another, he would talk to her, even if only through the door. He needed her to hear what had happened with Renee.

  Not telling her everything last night would go down as one of his biggest mistakes. Watching her dissolve into tears had struck fear in him, and like an idiot, he hadn’t been able to find his words. It was by far his weakest and most pathetic moment. Now, embarrassed by his lack of forthrightness, he had to rectify the situation. Their happiness depended on it.

  Calvin and Erika were at the reservations counter when he entered the lobby. He didn’t glance at them or greet them as he power walked to Julia’s office.

  “Oh shit, you don’t look happy.” Calvin stared at him nervously. “Luke?”

  Erika turned toward him.

  “Not now, Calvin.”

  “She’s not here,” Calvin blurted as Luke stopped at Julia’s doorway with a hard, furrowed brow.

  “She left this note for you,” Erika said in a soft voice, holding the paper out to him.

  Luke opened it…

  Luke,

  I’ve left town for a couple of days. I’d appreciate it if you’d watch over the resort in my absence. I’ll be back Thursday. ~Julia

  Luke crumpled the paper, pressing it into Calvin’s chest. The young man didn’t flinch. Luke turned around and headed straight to Julia’s suite.

  His heart galloped like a racehorse as he took full strides down the hallway. At her door, he knocked. And then again. His neck stiffened as he beat on the door until a maid approached him with a confused expression on her face.

  “Miss Greene isn’t inside, Mr. Hamill. She left early this morning.”

  “You saw her leave?”

  “Yes. She told me I didn’t need to freshen up her room.”

  “Please unlock the door.” The maid looked uncertain whether to follow his request or not. “It’s fine. I’m not going to take anything.”

  She opened the door and quickly left, as if she wanted no part of his dealings.

  “Thank you!” he hollered as he walked in and closed the door behind him.

  Luke’s throat tightened as Julia’s perfume surrounded him. It took him a moment to gather himself before he inspected the room. To his immediate relief, her clothes were in the closet and her shoes neatly arranged on the floor. In the bathroom, her hygiene products were on the counter and in the shower. He then walked into the bedroom and could tell she hadn’t slept in the bed. But to be sure, he lifted the comforter to check the sheets; they were tight and free of wrinkles. She hadn’t slept in the bed last night.

  On the edge of the bed, he sat with his hands over his face. “Why, baby, why?” He shook his head, swallowing the lump in his throat. Where did you go?

  Desperate to talk to her, he pulled his phone out of his coat pocket. Still no text from her. “Screw this!” Luke pushed the call button; by the third ring, he went to voicemail. “Julia, please call me. I’m so damn sorry, baby. But you don’t know everything. Let me explain… Are you okay? Please, baby, please call me back.” His voice weakened as he ended the call. A stray tear escaped his eye, a first since he was a young boy. He took several deep breaths to regain his composure before he left. Was it possible Erika knew more? He would find out.

  “Hey, Luke, are you all right, man?” Calvin asked upon seeing him walk behind the desk. “Everything okay with you and Julia?”

  Luke shot him a “shut the hell up” look.

  Calvin screwed up his face. “Sorry.”

  “Erika, do you know where Julia went?”

  “Um…she told me if I needed anything to ask you. And that she’d be back Thursday afternoon.”

  “I already know all that. Where did she go?” He grabbed the back of his neck, trying to keep control of his anger.

  “She didn’t tell you where she was going?” Calvin asked. “What happened?”

  “If she told me, do you think I’d be asking?” Luke snapped.

  Calvin grimaced, shrugging his shoulders.

  “Erika, do you know where she went?”

  “Home.”

  “Home? To L.A.?”

  She nodded. The phone rang just then, and Erika promptly went to answer it.

  “Maybe you should try calling her,” Calvin suggested. Luke’s bloodshot eyes bored into his. “I guess you already did that. If you argued, just give her time. Women need time to get over it.”

  “Call me if you guys need anything.” Luke walked out of the lobby. Another day, he would have a long conversation with the young Calvin about encroaching on someone’s private affairs.

  The crisp morning air encircled Luke as he saw Julia everywhere on his way down to the cabin. They had taken dozens of walks on the property over the last month and shared even more kisses along the trails. The smell of the pines reminded him of when she’d said she loved it more than the scent of eucalyptus. He spied the tree he often pressed her up against for a passionate afternoon kiss that would carry them until the end of the day.

  Remembering the feel of her lips and her warm body against his, he rushed toward the bench with the view of the falls and collapsed onto it like a ton of bricks, overpowered by his emotions. Luke labored for air, trying to fill his lungs as if he had just completed running a 5k marathon at top speed. He heaved and gasped, clutching his jacket over his chest. She had left him because she believed he had been unfaithful.

  Luke let go, giving in to his grief in the secluded silence and stillness of the lake. The lake Julia loved. The lake where he had fallen in love with her. The lake with the falls in the distance that faithfully flowed with cascading water. It mirrored his overflowing love for her. He would always be faithful to her.

  The love-pheromones Julia often exhibited seeped out of Lauren. Though she would never admit to feeling swoony over an event, she felt them as she unlocked the door to her apartment. The pride in her accomplishments grew stronger with each successful event she managed in Julia’s absence, and it further increased her confidence.

  Since the opening of the inn, Lauren had been Julia’s right-hand girl, and now she was the boss, which added to her chipper mood.

  A hard stop jolted her when she tried to ope
n the door. “What the hell?” Lauren pushed harder, but nothing. She peered in the small crevice and saw a bag blocking the way. She stuck her leg in and kicked it aside. One look was all it took; she would know that Gucci weekend bag anywhere.

  The dorkiest smile stretched across her face. “Sweets! Where are you?” She buzzed through the apartment and saw Julia’s bedroom door was cracked open like an open invite, so she breezed into the room. Lauren’s grin disappeared when she found Julia curled into a ball and sound asleep. A mountain of mascara-stained tissues towered beside her. “Sweets,” Lauren whispered as she crouched down beside the bed.

  Julia’s tear-streaked, blotchy face turned her eyes glossy with compassion. No question this had the lumberjack written all over it. Lauren fumed, bitter embers taking form in her gut, and she inhaled, bracing for the capricious evening that would come.

  Lauren lightly brushed Julia’s hair off her face until she opened her swollen, languid eyes. “Hi, babe. I’m happy to see you, but not like this.” Her mouth quivered as her eyes filled with more tears. Lauren embraced her in the next breath, like a protective mother, while Julia’s piercing sobs of heartbreak filled the room.

  The painful gasps of air followed by ragged breaths added to the forceful tremors rippling through Julia’s body as Lauren held her. But it was listening to her cries of “why?” that would torment Lauren for a long time.

  Julia’s extreme grief confused her. Sure, she had cried when Trent cheated on her the first time. But the second and third time, she hadn’t shed a tear. Instead, she’d been angry that he had cheated on her again. Like Lauren, Julia wasn’t much of a crier. She was strong and rarely gave way to her emotions—except for this time. It also appeared she had run away from Luke, utterly distraught and devastated. And she never ran from her problems. Ever.

  Lauren held tight to a completely turned-inside-out Julia. The heartrending sight nearly brought her to tears.

  TWENTY-ONE

  He’s Mine

  Luke plodded into The Peak at the end of the day. It only took a glance for Bruce to see that something wasn’t right. Luke’s hunched posture was reminiscent of the day he’d dragged his ass into the bar three years ago, except now, he looked shattered.

  Bruce grabbed Crown Royal instead of Luke’s usual Woodford Reserve. He poured a shot and a glass of the house IPA, then set them at Luke’s spot at the end of the bar. Not once did he take his eyes off his friend.

  The shot went down in one smooth swallow, and he slid the glass back for a refill, which Bruce obliged. Luke didn’t waste time savoring the aromas; he pushed the whiskey back at breakneck speed as if the amber liquid would erase his pain. It probably would after the fourth or fifth drink.

  Bruce stared at him, then the empty glass.

  “Another!” Luke demanded, slapping his hand on the bar.

  Bruce nodded, filling the glass. Before Luke could order another, he returned the bottle to the back counter. The man looked like hell sitting there with bloodshot eyes and his head wobbling like one of those bobblehead toys.

  “What happened?” Bruce asked.

  “I lost her.”

  “How’s that?” It appeared the three Crowns had weakened Luke, giving him a liberal tongue, so Bruce just might get to the bottom of his dismal appearance. None of this made sense. Luke was an upstanding guy who respected women. What could he have done to lose the sweet and beautiful Julia? Bruce stared at Luke, who was now bent over his beer.

  “I’m a fucking thick-headed asshole. I crushed her,” Luke mumbled, hanging his head as if underwater.

  “Where is she?” Bruce suddenly felt protective of Julia. Luke better not have gone off on her, or he would have choice words for his thick-headed friend.

  “Home.”

  “She went back to California? Is she coming back?”

  “I don’t know, but I broke her. Worst fucking S.O.B in the universe. My beauty, how could I hurt her so much? I’ll tell you; it’s that goddamn Renee’s fault.”

  Bruce’s eyes went wide. “What does Renee have to do with this?” Luke said nothing. It seemed Bruce’s window of opportunity had closed. As his buddy quietly nursed his beer, lots of thoughts ran through Bruce’s head, but he wouldn’t jump to conclusions. Luke was a good man.

  In the meantime, Bruce called Calvin to drive the wasted Marine home. It was not the first time Luke had needed a safe ride home either. Like the other times, Bruce wasn’t going to let him get behind the wheel of his truck.

  As he helped customers on the other end of the bar, Bruce kept an eye on Luke. That’s when the saddest thing happened. A song brought the fierce and proud Marine down. “Make You Miss Me” played on the sound system, and by the second verse, Luke’s face was down in the crook of his arm.

  To the average onlooker, Luke looked like a drunk at the bar, but Bruce, an exceptional bartender, saw the soft, almost unnoticeable quake in his shoulders. This rare scene would be forgotten and never spoken about to anyone—especially not to Luke. The mighty Marine who didn’t waver for anything or anyone was crying over a woman he so obviously loved.

  Calvin moseyed into The Peak with his chest puffed out and hands stuck inside his jean pockets. Cocky was normal for him, but cocky with a swagger? That was new. “Hey, Bruce, how’s the Marine?” he inquired with an air of superiority.

  Bruce stared at him, emotionless, for a couple of beats. Maybe all the calls for a ride had given the boy a big head. No matter, Luke needed a ride, and Calvin was it. “He’s fine. But for your safety, I wouldn’t talk to him.” Calvin searched his face, but Bruce wasn’t kidding.

  “They’re quite the pair, aren’t they?” Calvin laughed.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Both drunk within a week of each other, and I’m the driver. I might have to start a safe-ride-home service.” He chuckled, slapping his knee. “Do you know what happened?”

  Bruce looked over at Luke; the man looked broken. “I don’t know anything. What do you know?”

  “I saw Julia leave this morning. She looked bad. They got into a fight, I’m sure of it.”

  “Did she look like she’d been crying?” Calvin’s eyes widened as he nodded his head. “But she didn’t say what happened?”

  “Nah, she just left him a note saying to watch the resort until she returned. He’s a fool if he lets her go.”

  “I’m sure he knows that.” Bruce tensed just then when he saw Tiffani waltz in. “Ah shit, you need to get him out of here now.”

  “I’m on it.” Calvin quickly went to Luke’s side. Tiffani would be ready to pounce on a fragile man like Luke at the first smell of vulnerability.

  “Hey, Bruce, I’ll have a beer.” She climbed up onto the stool. “What’s wrong with him?” She darted her eyes at Luke.

  “Just a little too much to drink.” He played it off like no big deal. He put a beer in front of her and watched Calvin coax Luke out of the bar.

  “Where’s the California girl?” She made a gagging face. “Or did she get tired of Luke already?”

  “Nope, they’re still happily together.” He lied for one reason only: to protect Luke. When her group arrived, that was the last he saw of her thankfully. Twenty minutes later, he received a text from Calvin.

  Calvin: The Marine is out for the night. I’m outta here.

  Bruce: Thanks. Make sure you lock the door.

  Why “lock the door” came to mind he might never know, but one could be sure—his intuition was always spot on. The way news traveled, he wouldn’t take any chances, especially with Tiffani around. She would take any opportunity that presented itself to bed Luke.

  An hour had passed before Julia was all cried out—for the moment anyway. Lauren poured two glasses of Merlot, the first of many. Julia was balled up on the sofa when Lauren handed her the glass.

  “Thank you,” she breathed. The force of her wailing sobs left its mark on her throat, piercing the tender flesh and leaving it sore and prickly.

  Lau
ren’s face radiated love and empathy, a look Julia had come to know well after the months Trent cheated on her. It seemed like old times with Audrey watching over them, their guardian angel.

  “What happened?” Lauren asked directly.

  Julia had known it was only a matter of time before she asked. “He screwed around with Renee, his ex.”

  “Screwed around, or he had sex with her?”

  “Does it really matter?” Julia snapped. The very thought of Luke kissing any woman was enough to send her running to the toilet.

  “Yes, it does.”

  Julia inhaled, her breathing finally normal. “He said they didn’t get that far. I can’t even believe this is happening again. I thought he cared about me.” Her eyes glossed over, and Lauren handed her a fresh box of tissues. “Thanks.” She dabbed the corners of her eyes, then sipped her wine.

  “So, then you don’t believe he cares about you?”

  Julia shrugged.

  “Did he try to lie his way out of it?”

  “He told me he’d always tell me the truth and to not overreact. Who says that unless they’re guilty and planning to lie?” she scoffed.

  “Maybe he said that so you would hear everything he had to say before reacting.” Lauren arched her brow, sipping her wine. “You know, not everything is easy to explain in two sentences. Did you at least hear him out?” Julia stared into her wine glass. “You didn’t hear him out?”

  “If you could have seen the guilt in his eyes… He may not have had sex with his ex, but he sure as hell screwed around with her. Why do I have to listen to the whole damn confession?”

  “Wow, you’re pretty hardcore these days, aren’t you?” Lauren laughed. “So, the lumberjack is out of the picture? Okay, so why all the hysterics? Why the gut-wrenching sobs? Why fly all the way back to L.A.? It’s not April yet, and you have a job to do in Idaho.”

  Julia ignored her. She beat on a pillow as if she were fluffing it, but really, it was anger.