Chapter 35: Not A Date... Right?

Julian’s warm lips pressed against my forehead with gentle pressure. Despite all my annoyance, frustrations, and anger, I still felt those damn butterflies fluttering in my stomach. The handsome man didn’t even give me a chance to complain or pull out of his grip because he released me almost as soon as his lips made contact with my skin. My stepbrother then stepped away from me and gave me a charming wink. “I hope that boosts your self-esteem.”

“My SELF-esteem?!” I echoed as my anger came rushing back. “I don’t need a boost for that!” I huffed and pushed past him, marching my way outside without looking back to see if he was following me. I did hear him give that familiar chuckle that he’d give when he’s amused.

It seemed that dinner was still going to take a while to prepare so an hour-long movie didn’t seem so much of a bad idea. Julian and I got into his car and he drove me to the movies. Upon arriving at the theater, once again, I’m taken off guard by how many people are around, surrounding me on all sides. Due to where I grew up, something like this means trouble is imminent even though I knew everything was fine here.

Old habits die hard…

A pressure along my shoulders snapped me out of my overstimulation and I looked up at Julian, my mind finally registering that he had placed his arm around my shoulder. I could feel that familiar blush creeping up on my cheeks again. “Julian…”

His voice was a quiet yet comforting murmur when he spoke to me. “I know how this looks. But it makes you feel better, doesn’t it? Nobody will know anyway.” He looked down at me and smiled. “It’s alright, Sukia.”

Those last two words aren’t things that are said to me all too often. It left me feeling perplexed with my emotions about him. It comforted me as he planned, but at the same time, my gut still remained wary when in his presence.

I sharply turn my head away from him. “Don’t assume things about me.”

Despite my chosen words and the hostility in my tone, I didn’t attempt to remove his arm from my body. I hated how attuned Julian had become with my behavior. The handsome man just smiled at me, seemingly reading me like an open book. I was beginning to have regrets about coming to the theater with him. But my regrets turned into astonishment as soon as we stepped into the room where we’d watch the movie. I have never seen a screen this size, let alone so many seats in one room. It was jarring. Even the amount of people in the room didn’t bother me because I was so astounded.

Julian’s chuckle made me notice that my jaw had dropped and I quickly closed it with an embarrassing blush. He took me halfway up the rows and then towards the middle, my stepbrother making sure that I had the best view possible.

“I’ll be right back,” Julian said with another one of his charming grins before leaving my side.

I watched him go before turning my attention to the space around me. The room itself was shocking as well, despite how many people there were, the room wasn’t nearly as noisy as it should’ve been. I jolted out of my daze when I heard an unfamiliar voice next to me.

“Is this seat taken, miss?” A man asked me on the opposite side of where Julian would sit next to me. I did notice that he was a bit handsome from what I could see in the dark.

“Go ahead.” I gave my terse response and he took a seat beside me. I caught a glimpse of two other friends sitting down the row from him and I was starting to have my regrets.

I really hope they’re not the noisy bunch.

I couldn’t hold in the annoyed huff that escaped my lungs. The man didn’t seem to notice however, when he was done talking to his friends he turned his attention back to me. “Did you come here by yourself?”

A frown creased my lush lips. “How’s that your business?”

My curt words caught him off guard and he leaned away from me. “I was just trying to make small talk…”

I’ve been so used to Julian being immune to my rudeness that I had forgotten most people’s reactions when they first met me. Though the stranger seemed like he was going to back off, he surprisingly attempted to talk to me again. “Are you excited about the movie? I hear it’s a good one.”

What kinda question is that?

I heard one of his friends snicker on the other side of him. “Have you already got yourself a new girlfriend?”

Oh hell no.

I felt a vein pulse in my neck meanwhile the man beside me became flustered and whisper-shouted at his friend. “Shut up, man! What the hell??” He then spun his head back to me with sheer embarrassment in his eyes. “Don’t listen to that idiot, he likes to play too much.”

“Uh huh…” I grumbled while relaxing a little bit. At least this guy wasn’t as annoying as his friend. My curtness definitely dampened his mood because he looked back to the screen with the energetic look in his eyes almost all washed away.

Hanging around Gabriel must’ve made me go soft. Fucking hell.

I’m starting to hate how I feel bad more often than not when I hurt somebody’s feelings. I hold in an annoyed sigh to spare his feelings before mumbling my response to his question. “...I haven’t heard anything about it. The person I came here with just told me that they think I’ll like it.”

The stranger looked a bit surprised when I unexpectedly responded to his outgoing question and then he smiled. “If you’re into gore and twisted things then that’ll be the movie for you.”

“Oh?” My interest noticeably peaked as the hostility left my eyes and I grinned. “Well, now I’m interested. Does it have sex scenes?”

“I’m pretty sure. Most gore horror movies do nowadays.”

“Sweet.”

The stranger smiled again once we became more comfortable with each other. “My name is Liam. What’s yours?”

I wasn’t surprised that the man would introduce himself. I would’ve been fine with it if it wasn’t for his nosy friend teasing him again. “Aww, you do have a crush!”

His jokes didn’t humor me one bit, in fact, they were starting to piss me off to the point I had to speak my mind. “Hey! Butt out, fucker!”

The two men stared at me wide-eyed in dead silence. That was usually everyone’s reaction when they first encountered my foul attitude. Yet unexpectedly, Liam turned on his friend. “You heard the lady. Mind your own business.”

His friend scoffed and grumbled something under his breath, likely cursing about me, Liam, or both of us together. I scared him off, that’s all I cared about. Liam then looked back to me, eyes still wide but this time the shock was replaced with being impressed. “Wow. It takes a lot to shut him up.”

“What can I say? I got a gift for silencing everyone around me.” I cracked a small joke that barely brought a smile to my face meanwhile it tickled him enough that he had to restrain himself from laughing loud enough to draw attention to us. My grin returned. “Sukia. The name’s Sukia.”

“Oh, interesting name.”

“Ha, right. My mom decided she wanted to name me after a character in some shitty novel I never bothered to read.” My words made him chuckle with amusement.

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Sukia,” Liam said while smiling at me with warmness in his eyes.

“Likewise.” I could tell that the man wasn’t talking to me because he was just interested in my body. I, on the other hand, couldn’t help but look him up and down and wonder if he’ll be my next booty call.

His smile flipped upside down all of a sudden and he stared above my head with eyes that reflected fear. “What?” I questioned him and then looked in the direction he was staring. My eyes widen to this time.

It was Julian, he had returned with sodas and popcorn but at the same time, that wasn’t Julian. Not the Julian I knew. The look in his eyes sent a chill down my spine, it was the same chilling look he gave me the night I came back to the mansion after spending the whole day with Scarlett. He was squeezing one of the sodas so tightly that it looked like it was about to pop like a balloon. The ire in his eyes made them burn like blue flames in the dark, I could even see how tightly his jaw was clutched.

It left me silent with shock for a couple of seconds until I finally snapped out of it and spoke up hesitantly. “Julian…? You ok, bro…?”