Chapter 23: Two-Faced?

The following day I’m still left shocked from last night. I kept telling myself that Julian was just very, very, very concerned for my well-being. He knew our boundaries were to be siblings. That’s all. My mom’s reputation is more important than his feelings. And yet, I still couldn’t help but feel creeped out. I mean, not even my mom waited for me to get back! Did Julian seriously hang out in the living room all night just waiting for me to get back?

Again, I shrugged it off. Julian is more like his twin than I realized. Just a couple of drama queens. Julian only took me by surprise because he usually acts differently and he’s a lot bigger than me. Nothing more, nothing less.

I was on my way to see my mom but along the way, I came across Grace who gave me a stuck-up smile. “What’s wrong, sis? You look a little shaken up. Come across some late-night rats?”

“Shut the hell up, Grace. I don’t have the patience for you today.” I muttered coldly. As expected, I wasn’t able to sleep at all last night. It saved me from my nightmares but it left me crankier than usual.

“Hah!” She gave a single laugh while crossing her arms and lifting her chin. “No need to be coy, dear!” She said while walking closer and placing her hand on my shoulder. “My brother only has your best interests at heart. That’s why he’s always watching you, just looking after you is all.”

I violently shrugged off her hand and took a quick step back. “Why the hell do you keep saying all these freaky things?! Just get outta here! I’m already tired of lookin’ at you.”

As I fixed to walk away, Grace called out to me one more time. “Oh, by the way, if you’re looking for Mom, she left with Dad. I don’t know when they’ll be back either.” She said with a casual shrug as if having a nonchalant conversation with me.

My hands balled into tight fists, I spun around to face the woman with a vicious glare and deep voice holding a growl. “Call my mother yours one more time and I swear to god I’mma fucking shave your head and drop you off on the west-side at midnight!”

As expected, Grace grimaced with intimidation but the woman still stood her ground when facing me. “I’ve got some friends too, you know. You won’t be talking all big and bad when they get a hold of you.”

“Good, let 'em! I’ll break their shitty wrists and shave their heads too.” I grumbled crankily but my threat still remained the same. If I say I’m gonna do something, I do it. Grace knew this by now.

The twin sister scowled at me and then gave me that venomous smile. “You better hope you don’t come to regret those words. Sis.” Grace mocked me with the same word I used to address her before walking away. I heaved out a loud, annoyed sigh.

Fucking hell… what’s she gonna do? Send her Barbie army after me?

It was tempting to shout my thoughts back at Grace while she was still within hearing range just out of petty spite but before I could get a word out, I jumped with surprise when a hand landed on my back, making me immediately spin around and swing a punch at my stalker. But before my fist could make contact with someone’s gut, my wrist was sharply snatched and easily stopped by strength stronger than my own. To my surprise, it was Julian.

“Julian?! Fuck, dude, how many times do I have to tell you to stop sneaking up on me!” I yelled at him out of anger and annoyance. My patience was thin today. I tried to yank my hand free out of his grip but his hand was surprisingly strong. A bit alarmingly strong to be exact. “Do you mind?! Let me go!”

The handsome man immediately lets go of my wrist. “I’m sorry, Sukia. I don’t mean to keep spooking you.” He said with a genuine look in his pretty blue eyes.

He was back to the Julian I remember. It’s almost as if the Julian from last night was a figment of my imagination. Or maybe it was just a dream? I’m reminded that everything was all reality when he spoke his following words.

“I need to talk to you, in private. Can we go to the library?”

My jaw clenched with a different surge of emotion. It wasn’t anger, annoyance, or being impatient this time. No, this time I felt unsettled. It felt like a sinking feeling in my gut. Dread? No, it can’t be. I never feel dread. And so, I just gave an insipid shrug while looking away. “Sure, whatever. Just make this quick. I need a coffee somethin’ fierce.”

Julian smiled with relief. He had clearly mulled over this for a while and had strong feelings that I would most likely decline his request. And I should’ve. But, as they say, curiosity kills the cat. As he walked in front of me, I couldn’t help but look him up and down suspiciously. It had definitely caught me off guard how he was able to catch my fist like that. Nobody has been able to do that before.

“Hey… you wake up with new reflexes or somethin’?” I decided to voice my thoughts.

Julian gives an amused hummed laugh. “After getting hit a couple of times, it’s easy to predict what you’ll do.”

My eyes widen a bit with surprise. “Whoa. Seriously?” I thought about my previous fights and realized that most of them ended the same way with the same tactics. They’ve always worked before, until now. “Damn…” I mumbled to myself with brief disbelief.

“You’re still plenty scary, Sukia, Don’t think less of yourself.” He said with a chuckle in his voice.

His amusement over my inner questioning burned me up and I gave him a sharp retort. “I’m not thinking less of myself! I never think less of myself!”

When we finally walked into the library, I noticed that all the maids were gone. It was just the two of us in this big room full of bookshelves so long that they could be considered hallways. Julian led me to the back of the room where we were hidden behind rows and rows of bookshelves. I can feel my anxiety pitter-patter my chest once again along with another feeling.

Butterflies? No… I’m just overthinking things.

“Sukia.” Julian snapped me out of my thoughts once again. There was clear, deep regret within those gorgeous blue eyes of his. “About last night… I’m really sorry. I truly am. I was just really concerned and I acted out. Please, forgive me.”

I give him a vicious glare with merciless words. “I don’t know ‘bout you, but this conversation has given me some real deja vu.” Julian flinched as I reminded him of our last car ride where he confessed his feelings for me. I lift my chin with dominance. “You two-faced fuck. You got some nerve. Fucking with me and then apologizing to me? Again?? Do you think this is a fucking circus? I’m not your tiger jumping through your flaming hoops, Julian. You’re repetitive games are starting to seriously tire my patience with you.”

“I know, I know, I know, I just…” Julian’s next words are hesitant as if he was trying to choose them very carefully.

Hell yeah, chose them carefully. Your chosen words make me choose whether or not to punch you in the face or kick you in your balls!

Thankfully for him, I keep my frustrated thoughts to myself. Even if I did want to speak my thoughts out loud, I was taken by surprise when Julian started to walk towards me. He approached me so closely that I was forced to take steps backward until my back collided with a bookcase. He then places both of his hands on either side of me, trapping me in place so that I’m caged between him and the bookcase.

My pounding heart almost made me panic and when I looked up, my cheeks immediately burned when I realized I was only inches away from his face. If I tilted my chin up any higher, my lips would end up pressing up against his and that kept me rooted in place as he loomed over me. I felt his hot breath against my skin for the second time.

This must be the saying ‘cat got your tongue’ because I couldn’t utter a word. I felt like a deer in headlights, at the mercy of Julian’s next action.