by J. Sterling
“I thought so, too, but I don’t think she was lying.”
“You know, I guess it would make sense,” my mom started to say, her mind clearly spinning in a new direction.
“How so?”
“If you only pass down the parts where you were done wrong, then it keeps the feud alive. The hatred and anger seem justified. I can see how, over the years, certain parts got dropped from their side of the story.”
“Yeah, I guess I could see that,” I agreed before getting slightly agitated. “But it kind of makes it all worse.”
“What do you mean?”
“The fact that they don’t even know the whole story and choose to live their lives with this total contempt for our existence.” I started to get fired up, my emotions getting the best of me as I thought back to all the words Mr. La Bella had said about me.
“You know, James, just for the record”—my mom offered me a sly smile before backing away—“I’ve always liked Julia. She’s a smart girl. Talented. Motivated.”
She disappeared into the kitchen before even waiting for my response. Hearing my mom approve of Julia was a gift I’d never known I needed or wanted.
I headed up the rest of the stairs, pausing when I noticed Dane asleep in the guest room, the bedroom door wide open. He’d stayed the damn night, and I hadn’t even noticed his car, not that I had been looking for it. I was too busy trying not to get shot, weaving through the La Bella property. After hearing Julia’s dad this morning, I’d figured he’d be all too willing to shoot me first and ask questions over my dead body later.
I decided to wake Dane up. Walking over to his bed, I shook his shoulders and said his name three times. He started to stir before his eyes shot open.
“Dude. Finally.” He reached for his phone and looked at it. “You stayed the night? Are you just getting back?” Sitting straight up, he wiped his eyes. “What happened? Tell me. Did you hook up?”
Even though I’d willingly set myself up for this, he asked way too many questions.
“Her dad came home.” I decided I’d start with that little fact nugget.
“Shit. Did he see you? Are you dead right now?” He pushed my chest with his finger. “Okay. Not ghost James. Go on.”
“We talked, and I’m pretty sure she knows about twenty percent of our families’ history. I’d always assumed that she knew the whole thing. I’d never understood why she hated my family so much when it should have been the other way around, but I’d accepted it. Like a fool, I’d just accepted it all without fighting or questioning it.”
“I knew it. I knew she didn’t know.” He snapped his fingers like he had just stumbled on some world-altering knowledge. “So, did you tell her the whole story?”
“I started to, but then she started talking about Romeo and Juliet, and I might have gotten a little distracted.”
I refused to fill Dane in on every single detail of the night I’d shared with Julia. Some things were private, and even though I’d told him everything in the past, this time felt different. I cared about her too much to lay it all out there.
Dane let out a loud laugh as he adjusted the pillow behind his back. “Shit. How have I never put that together before? You guys are the damn Montagues and Capulets in present-day form. Why did they hate each other anyway? Same reason as you guys? A bad bet gone wrong?”
And, now, Dane was completely distracted.
“I have no idea. Read the book and get back to me,” I said, trying my best to sound annoyed. “Can you please focus?”
“Stop yelling at me. Someone didn’t get any last night.” He yawned. “Tell me you at least kissed the girl,” he said, his tone filled with hope more than anything else.
I nodded in response. When his face practically lit up, I had to stop myself from grinning back.
“And then what? Her dad came over and cockblocked the rest?”
“He didn’t show up until this morning. I might have had to hide in the closet,” I said, completely fucking embarrassed as I burned a hole in the carpet instead of looking at his face.
“Might have?” he asked, holding back his laughter.
“Fine”—I looked right at him—“I definitely had to hide in the closet.”
He exploded, the laughter spilling out. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.” He continued to laugh, his entire body shaking. “Oh, man. So, now, what? Will you see her again, or was it a one-time, get-it-out-of-your-system kind of thing?”
My insides instantly raged. A one-time thing with Julia had never been my intention. “You know it’s not like that.”
“I know it’s not for you, but was it for her? Did you even ask? Are you guys on the same page?”
I suddenly grew nervous as Julia’s last words played out in my head. “It was one night, James. You never had me.”
Hearing them repeat, if only in my mind, was just as brutal as hearing them spill from her lips the first time. My chest instantly ached.
“We didn’t get a chance really. Her dad threatened her. He reminded her to stay away from me. Then, she kicked me out, and here I am.”
Dane’s brows pulled together. “Her dad threatened her? How?”
This was one thing I had no qualms about sharing, so I filled him in on everything I’d overheard from the closet. Dane’s expression turned as shocked as I was sure mine had been before it changed again into something unreadable.
“And you’re sure you didn’t hear him wrong, misinterpret this somehow?”
“I’m sure.”
His eyes darted around the room as his head shook in what had to be disbelief. “Wow. I think he might hate you more than your dad hates her.”
“I don’t think there’s any comparison, to be honest. My dad’s never said anything even remotely close to the things her dad said to her.”
“Who would disown their own kid? That’s severely messed up.”
Dane started to shift uncomfortably, and I felt his pain. I knew it well. I’d been living it for as long as I could remember.
“I know, but”—I paused and wrung my hands together—“what do I do about it?”
He instantly straightened. “What do you want to do about it?”
“I want the girl,” I said without thinking, but it was the truth, so I didn’t take it back.
“Then, let’s get her,” he said with a big-ass smile, and I found myself almost believing that it was truly possible.
“How?” I asked because we needed a plan.
“Good question.” He started tapping a finger against his chin while he thought. “You can show up with a ring and propose.”
“Uh …” I craned my neck and looked at him like he was insane. Because, clearly, he was.
“I’m just saying that you could skip all the stuff in between and get right to the good part,” he offered with a shrug.
“Yeah, that’s not even remotely a good plan, let alone a sane one.”
“I’m just trying to help,” he said all innocent-like, and I groaned, hoping for a new idea. “Okay. Make her jealous then.”
My interest suddenly kicked up a few dozen notches, my ego obviously a fan of this kind of idea. “Go on.”
“Ask Jeanine out,” he suggested, and I shot him a look that said I’d rather die than cross that line. “Fine. Ask out every other woman in town and make sure she hears about it. It will drive her so crazy that she’ll come running over here with open arms and hop in your lap.”
My heart plummeted inside my chest as reality smacked me like a two-by-four. “No, she wouldn’t. She didn’t come running when I dated in the past. Trying to make her jealous would just give her a reason to stay away. Maybe, if we were still in high school, I’d go that route, but not now. What else you got?”
He laughed before clasping his hands together. “Uh, you could finally make a better wine than her and win a competition for once.”
“Dick,” I muttered under my breath because we both knew that Julia had something that I didn’t when it came to cr
eating the perfect blends.
Dane cupped his ear and leaned forward. “What? Didn’t quite catch that.”
“Even if I did somehow beat her in the next competition, how would that win her over?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she’d be so pissed that she lost to you that she’d want to know what you did to win. Knowing Julia, she wouldn’t leave your side until you told her everything. You’d have her following you around the winery until you confessed it all.”
Dane was absolutely right, and I found myself smiling at the thought of a fired-up Julia hot on my heels, demanding to know exactly how I’d beaten her. It wasn’t the worst idea in the world even if it was damn near impossible.
“We’ll add that to the list.”
“Shit, am I supposed to be writing this down?” he asked as he reached for his phone and started typing frantically on the screen.
“Yes. Now, what else?” I waited for more asinine ideas from Dane that would hopefully trigger the right one in me. Sometimes, brainstorming with other people was the best way to figure out what direction you needed to take.
NO LONGER A LA BELLA
Julia
After James left this morning, I cried in my bathroom. It was as if every emotion that I’d held back my entire life came pouring out in those moments while I held my knees against my chest and rocked back and forth. I never expected to feel so much in the aftermath, but giving myself over to him, the one person who I was forbidden from even speaking to, was a whole new level of … well, everything.
I knew that I had been attracted to James before, but I’d had no idea that having sex with him would make me feel the way that I currently did, like my world had shifted. My reality seemed rearranged, different somehow. And it wasn’t because of the fact that us being together was supposed to be wrong. To be honest, no other guy had ever felt more right. James and I were connected now, in ways neither one of us could take back or erase, not that I would.
Apparently, it wasn’t only our bodies that had intertwined last night. Something deeper had also shifted, and a new bond had formed. I could feel it living and breathing inside of me, begging for more of James, itching for permanence.
But I couldn’t give it what it needed.
After pulling myself together and one last swipe under my eyes to dry the tears, I decided to distract myself with work even though it was technically my day off. Winning the competition meant that I had a new limited-edition stamp to make and a new wine to bottle, and I was excited to get started.
I still hadn’t unpacked my car from the other day, and I needed to do that first before I could head into the bottling barn. The second I rounded the corner for my car, I saw James and his father on opposite sides of the barn. Chills raced down the length of my body as I tried to pretend like I was unaffected by his presence and didn’t notice him.
James cleared his throat, but I refused to make eye contact. He did it again, but I still resisted. My dad would come unglued if he saw us talking, especially after the warning he’d doled out this morning. Plus, seeing his dad out there made me nervous as well.
How would he react to the idea of us being friendly? I wondered.
“Are you really going to pretend like you don’t see me?” he shouted across our lots, and that got my attention.
I cast him a wicked glare before glancing to see if his dad was watching us or not. He wasn’t, but if looks could kill, I knew mine would have knocked James right on his ass.
Was he insane? Was he trying to get me in trouble?
I pressed the button on my remote and watched the trunk pop open, ignoring James even though I could see that he had stopped whatever he was doing and was facing my direction.
“We’re back to this? Are we really back to this?”
Glancing at him once more, I softened, my eyes pleading for him to please be quiet when the sound of my parents’ front door opened. I didn’t even have to look up to know my dad was coming. I’d long ago memorized the sound of his feet slamming against the ground with every step.
“Julia, get inside the house.”
“Dad, stop. It’s not what you think.” I swallowed around the ball now firmly lodged in my throat because it was exactly what my dad thought.
“Get inside the house now!”
His stubby finger pointed toward the door, and I reluctantly followed his demand, once again feeling like a child. I opted for one last look in James’s direction, and it was my downfall. He was watching my every move, and my dad was watching us both, the anger on his face growing by the second.
The moment I walked inside the open front door, I heard the shouting. It was Mr. Russo and my dad screaming at each other, but I wasn’t sure about what exactly. Their voices rose, and when I moved to look out the window, I saw the two men in each other’s faces and at each other’s throats. I wondered if this would be the day that they physically came to blows. James jumped between them, holding them at arm’s length apart. The shouting continued, and just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore and was about to head out there, the two men kicked dirt at one another before my dad stalked away, heading straight for me.
I didn’t know what to do with myself as my nerves ran ragged. When my dad entered the house, his face was an unnatural shade of red, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen him this mad.
“Pack your things, Julia.”
My stomach felt like it dropped to my knees as bile instantly rose in my throat. “What? Dad, you can’t be serious.” I looked around the room, scanning the house for any sign of my mother.
Where the hell is she? I wondered to myself.
She wouldn’t let this happen without some kind of fight, would she?
I honestly had no idea what my mom would do in this situation. I knew she would feel in the middle, but whose side would she take?
“I warned you,” my dad bit out, his voice cold as ice and devoid of any emotion. “I told you to stay away from him, and you purposely defied me. You think I can’t tell what’s going on? The one thing, Julia,” he said as he pinned me with the harshest look, “the one thing I’ve asked of you. You will not humiliate this family any further. You obviously don’t understand the concept of loyalty even though I raised you on it. I’m sure your great-grandfather is turning over in his grave right now. Get your things and get out.”
My eyes started to water, and I knew my dad would consider it weak if I cried in front of him over this, but I couldn’t stop the tears from spilling over if my life depended on it. “Where am I supposed to go?”
“That isn’t really my problem, now is it?”
He reached for a sandwich sitting on the counter that I hadn’t noticed before. I watched as he moved it toward his mouth and took a bite, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He chewed the bread and meat like he hadn’t just kicked his sole daughter out of the only house she’d ever known. He sat there, chewing and swallowing his food, and I couldn’t imagine ever eating again. My stomach rolled with the thought.
“Not sure what you’re still standing here for.”
I stumbled out of the back door and toward the guesthouse. Once inside, I grabbed a large duffel bag from the same closet James had hidden in this morning. God, had it really only been a handful of hours ago? It seemed like days. All the feelings and emotions James had incited within me felt so far removed now.
Glancing around, I wasn’t sure where to start. How many clothes would I need? How long was I going to be gone, and was I ever going to be allowed to come back here? I had no idea, and I should have reached for a suitcase instead, but I was too overwhelmed and shocked to think clearly.
Throwing random clothes and toiletries into the bag as fast as I could, I dialed Jeanine’s number and pressed the phone against my shoulder with my head.
“What’s up, hot stuff?” she answered, her voice cheery.
The tears continued to spill as I struggled to find my voice. “Hey. Can I stay with you for a bit?” My breathing
was erratic.
“Are you crying? Julia? What happened?” Her questions were frantic, but before I could respond, she continued, “But, of course, you can stay here. Do you need me to come get you?”
“No. I’ll be there soon.” My breath hitched and skipped audibly as I tried to sound as though my chest wasn’t shaking.
“Did James do something to you? I’ll hurt him. String him up by his balls in front of town hall.”
I wanted to laugh, but it died somewhere deep inside me. “I’ll tell you everything when I”—I paused to hiccup—“get there, okay?”
“Okay.” Her voice sounded so worried. “Drive safe. Park in my guest spot. Stay as long as you need.”
“Thank you,” I managed to get out before ending the call. I knew she’d forgive me for the abruptness of it all.
Glancing around my place, I decided that I could always buy or borrow anything that I forgot to pack. I was scared that if I took too long to leave, my dad would force me to go with only the clothes on my back. I still couldn’t believe that he was doing this. This had always been my biggest fear, and now, it was coming true. I’d always believed my dad’s threats were real, but a part of me was still shocked that he’d actually followed through with them. Had I really done something so awful that it warranted this type of punishment?
I got into my car and started the engine before waiting a few seconds to see if anyone would come and stop me. Maybe my mom would appear from wherever she was, tell me this was all some huge misunderstanding and that she’d try to fix it. But, when no one came, I accepted the truth and stepped on the gas pedal.
Driving to Jeanine’s apartment downtown was a feat in itself. My eyes had never been so blurry before, the road appearing and disappearing with each blink. Thankfully, I got there in one piece and didn’t hurt anyone else in the process, partly because I’d pulled over twice and waited until I could get back onto the road safely.
Navigating into the familiar guest spot, I turned off the engine, reached for my duffel, and trudged up the stairs to the second floor. The door opened before I could even raise my hand to knock, and Jeanine pulled me into a bear hug, which of course caused the tears to start falling all over again.