Chapter 18

Julia:

It'd been two days, and Rome consistently kept asking who caused my injuries. I refused to tell him for fear that something bad would happen to him. Xavier said this was a message for him, and even though I witnessed Rome bashing his knees in, I was still afraid of what he and his crazy friends were capable of. Xavier wasn't prepared at that time, but now he would be.

Kylashay was also now a problem. Emmie and I had to cancel our movie night with her, and she now believed that we were ignoring her. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her feelings, so she was coming over today. I'd just tell her that I fell down the stairs and not that my crazy ex-boyfriend had my mother hit me in the head with a big-ass reference book, which made me fall at the concert and bust my lip.

If she had read that book instead of using it as a weapon on innocent people, she would have been better off.

I turned the vacuum off and sat on the couch. I had already cleaned the entire house and only had a few dishes to wash and Rome's closet to organize. That man was so messy when it came to his clothes; he had even more than I do.

My phone started ringing. It was Josh. He bought Rome's car over yesterday, the one I had crashed into. He wanted to talk to me, but Rome somehow prevented him from doing so.

"Junebug," he said the moment I answered the phone. "I thought Rome did something bad to you when he told me to fuck off yesterday because you didn't want to see me."

I chuckled. "He said that?"

"No, he actually said you were asleep and that you weren't feeling well. How are you feeling now, love bug?" he asked.

"I'm alright, Josh, just had a minor headache." Actually, it was major, and I had to take two pills even though the doctor said I should take one. "Thanks for checking up on me, though."

"It's no problem, Julia. Just know that I care about you, and I will always be here for you, okay?" he said in a serious tone.

"Thank you, Josh; it means so much to me." My words were coming from the heart. I'd never really had people in my life who actually cared about me. It was always for their malicious benefits. "Tell me, how did your date with Ally go?"

"No, love, tell me, did my brother ignore you all day?"

"Actually," I paused, thinking of how I was the one who ditched him by going to work and remembering how he spent most of the evening with Emmie and me before Emmie said something to piss him off, which made him storm out of the room, "I had to work in the morning, so I'm the one who practically ignored him."

"That's a surprise."

Josh and I talked for a while. He told me that the date went well, and he asked Ally out, and she said yes. I was happy that things were finally working out for them.

Rome

"Did you change the bandage?" I asked, looking at Julia, busy making nachos and popcorn. Apparently, Kylashay and that one were coming over.

She should be resting. I kept telling her, but she was more stubborn than a mule, so instead, I left her to do as she pleased.

She turned around with a look that made me roll my eyes.

"I was so caught up with everything that I forgot."

"You do realize you're not a child, right? You need to start taking care of yourself."

She sighed before taking off her polka dot apron. "Don't you think I'm trying, mister?"

I was starting to get irritated with her calling me mister all the damn time.

"Try harder. It's a dog-eat-dog world out there. Everyone for themselves." I stood from my seat and glared at her.

"Is that why you're so cold and distant because you think that you are all alone in this world?" Julia asked, taking a step closer. "Because if that's what you think, then maybe I should remind you that you have an amazing brother who I know cares about you."

"But who do you have, Julia?" I asked, closing the distance between us. "You need to learn how to protect your fucking self because if you don't, then who is going to look out for you? Your own mother treats you like trash!"

"You don't know anything," she said calmly. I hated how calm she was. I wanted to get an actual reaction out of her. Why must she always be so calm and happy even if someone had a damn gun to her head?

"Tell me, Julia, who tried to spoil your beauty once again and ruin the smile you said people said could light their fucking way?"

"It doesn't matter," she said, looking away from me.

"Why doesn't it matter, Julia? Are you just going to let people destroy your life?"

"It doesn't matter because I don't want to ruin the lives of people I care about."

"Talk to me, Julia. I'll make whoever did this to you pay."

She looked at me with her bright hazel eyes. "For your own good, please, just drop it."

"Fine, then. If you won't tell me, then I will find someone who will." I grabbed my keys from the table and started to make my way to the garage.

Julia was following closely behind, but I ignored her.

"Where are you going?"

I continued to ignore her. Opening the door of my car that she crashed into, I got in and shut the door. Julia leaned on the window, preventing me from driving off.

"Why do you care so much?"

I wasn't going to give her an answer, even though I was starting to have a soft spot for her. If I ever decided to tell her, it would be on my own time.

"Get that wound cleaned," I told her.

Realizing that was all she was getting, she stood tall and backed away from the car. I started the car and reversed out of the garage. Julia stood still, watching, her short hair framing her face. She wore a blue hoodie and matching shorts with her bare feet on the cold floor. She was so innocent and kind, which made people take advantage of her.

I was determined to find whoever hurt her and make them suffer twice as much.