Chapter 83: Play With Blue Fire

*Yeah, he’s definitely not happy…*

I’ve only seen his glare that fierce before back at the theaters when he caught Liam having a conversation with me. Times that came close to it were when I came home late after spending the day with Scarlett. After the first time, I learned to tread carefully around that glare.

“Stay in the car, Jackie.” I tiredly grunted. This wasn’t exactly how I wanted to end my day.

“Right… and Suki?” he touched my hand briefly. “Be careful.” the look in his eyes showed pure concern but it also showed how much he cared about me as he gave me one last smile. “I’ll see you later, Suki.”

“Yeah, see ya.” I grinned at him again before stepping out of the car. Jack got the hint that he needed to drive off as soon as I was out of the car. I didn’t want Julian’s perfect acting to snap and show him the fury that I witnessed with Liam. I walked up to him instead of heading inside.

*Let's just get this over with.*

“The hell are you doin’ out here? You look like a maniac just standing out here like that.” I was convinced my sassy sarcasm had cursed my tongue by now.

“Do you know what time it is?” his tone was blunt and strict. That puppy dog was gone.

“No. But I’m assuming you do?” my remark wasn’t really a question, but it was still answered with a tight grip around my arm and a tough yank pulling me inside. “Ow! What the fuck!?” Julian still didn’t release me even as he dragged me inside. “I said fucking STOP!!” this time I screamed as I kicked at his leg, but after his experience from my potent kick at the theater, he quickly sidestepped and my foot grazed his shin. Thankfully, he still released me.

As soon as I screamed, I immediately regretted it. *Shit! Did Mom hear me again?*

“They’re not home,” Julian answered my thoughts at the same second it crossed my mind. “Dad and Isabella are out on a date night. I was… hoping we could too, but…” a deep frown creased his handsome face. “You were out with another man. With Jackie.”

Of all times, the memory of the gossiping maids’ topic crossed my mind. Elena’s death was likely murder. My hands balled up into paling fists. Something told me that Grace wasn’t home yet.

Why am I feeling nervous? Wait–no, I’m not nervous! I’m just hungry. Yeah, that’s it. I haven’t eaten anything today. I think.

Julian’s angered expression turned desperate. “I had things planned for us; I had a movie, your favorite snack, your–”

“Favorite snack? I haven’t had…” I squinted up at him suspiciously. How could he have known something like that? “Chill out. Your sister invited me out for some fun and I decided to go with her since, you know,” my squint turned into a petty glare. “You up and left me hangin’.”

I still have half the mind to dump him… I would if it wasn’t for Jackie. I inwardly winced at the memory of Julian always being at my side each time I woke up from one of my nightmares. Each thought made me question what I really wanted.

His rambling went silent when I gave my excuse, and his gorgeous blue eyes cooled off into something colder. The silence between us made my anxiety spiked. Before I could make an excuse to go back to my room, the slamming door and furious scream of my stepsister behind me made me spin around. Grace’s face was literally aflame with fury as she marched up to me.

“YOU! You ruined EVERYTHING! I hope you're proud of yourself!” she screamed at me before storming off.

Anddd there’s my alibi. As much as I wanted to take Grace by the ear and give her a punch to the gut, I had to admit, her arrival couldn’t of been better.

Until she shouted this over her shoulder while stomping up the staircase. “Fucking SKANK!”

*Oh, shit…*

For a moment, I thought the night was going to go the way I wanted until she said the one word that would’ve flipped the entire conversation with Julian upside down. When he looked down at me again, I didn’t bother looking him in the eye. I had a good idea what the expression on his face was. The ‘Why is she calling you a skank?’ look. I awkwardly laughed as I tried to find an excuse to get out of the conversation that was spiking my nerves.

“Ahh ha ha. Yeah, your sister really knows how to fucking insult me. Didn’t you say you’d tell her to knock that off? Anyway, I’m bout to collapse. So. Goodni–” When I went to talk past him, he grabbed my arm.

“Let me carry you up.” surprisingly his voice sounded attentive, as if he weren’t upset or suspicious.

*Is he really not bothered? Pfft, yeah right. He’s probably just acting again. Right…??*

I yanked my arm out of his grasp. “No, Julian, I got legs. Just go do something for yourself. I don’t want to be bothered for the rest of the night.” I looked up into his eyes finally when I demanded this, making sure he knew that I meant what I was saying. I’m done being surrounded by people for the day. I needed the mental relaxation.

Julian’s grip remained firm on my arm for a few seconds longer before releasing me. “Alright… call for me if you need anything.” his blue embers showed no malice or suspicion, surprisingly. Almost to the point, I was almost convinced that Grace’s single word from before had slipped past his ear unnoticed.

Almost.

“Yeah, sure, I’ll text ya,” I mumbled before turning my back to him and walking up the staircase. I wasn’t lying about that at least. I was physically and mentally tired. That party from earlier may have been entertaining, but the withdrawal from my mental state was exhausting.

Once I got to my room, I tossed my phone on the bed and locked the door behind me out of habit. Before, I used to never lock my door because for one I didn’t care and for two, nobody dared much into my personal area when they knew who was inside it.

I hated intrusions. I just wanna be fuckin’ left alone.

I took off my clothes and bikini before tossing them onto the floor. After sliding on a baggy t-shirt and underwear, I flopped onto the bed. I couldn’t resist a pleasured moan that escaped me as soon as my sore spine felt comfort from the bouncy bed.

*Fuuuuck… I could really use a cigarette.*

I looked over to where I had tossed my phone. Jack’s reaction to our previous conversation still rubbed me the wrong way. I could tell that he was scared and his persistence to keep me with Julian was suspicious as well. I wanted to confront Julian about it, ask him what he said to Jack, and demand to know if he had threatened my friend, but I knew it was pointless. Julian was a genius with his words and I’d like to fall for his tiny, pretty lies, too. Lies more effective than my own.

Right as I reached for the phone, it made a ‘ding’ noise and vibrated—telling me that somebody had texted me. At first, I thought it was Jack checking in on me, but my eyes widened with unexpected surprise when I saw a name on the screen that I thought I’d never see again.

*Liam…??*

“Hey, Sukia. How’ve you been?” his text was short, sweet, and had proper grammar, unlike my other friends. Even Amy slacked with her periods.

I forgot to delete his number. I’m surprised he even has mine… pretty sure I blew it on our lil, shitty ass date.

“Good, you?” my response was even shorter. The sweetest responses of all are what I like to call them. What else was I supposed to say to him? At the same time, I still felt touched that he even kept me around on his phone.

*Why the fuck do I care about what this dude does with my number? I don’t! I’m just surprised… that’s all. Not a single bit flattered. Fucking men. Fuck, women are no better.*

“I’ve been ok. Been here, been there, been thinking about you.” his text made me scoff and shake my head. He sent me another text before I could even decide what to text back. “I’ve been thinking a lot about you lately.”

*You gotta be fucking kidding me.*

“Yeah? Bout what’s on my chest between my legs?” my response was crudely blunt as ever. His response took a little longer to come. The good guy was likely flustered after that.

“No lol I just wanted to know if you wanted to hang out?”