Giving myself one last glance in the mirror, I whisper, “You can do this, Jamie. Be the better person, and be nice to Julian. Pretend nothing happened.”
Or Carter and Della might catch on, and then all hell will break loose.
Taking a deep breath, I leave my suite and head out to the car Carter sent for me. Greeting the driver, I climb in the back and adjust my dress so it won’t wrinkle.
Before we reach the hotel, I quickly reapply my lipstick then take a couple of deep breaths. An anxious feeling tightens the muscles in my abdomen, and my fists lay clenched on my lap as we pull up to the entrance.
I wait for the driver to open the door, and stepping out of the car, I straighten my dress and take one last deep breath before I walk into the lobby.
Walking into the restaurant, I can’t stop myself from glancing at the piano where a woman is playing to the patrons.
My eyes skim over the people until they land on Della as she waves to catch my attention.
I straighten my shoulders and lift my chin a little higher as I walk toward the table where my family and friends are already seated with families from CRC Holdings.
The instant my eyes land on Julian, I have to force them back to Della and not stare at him looking amazing dressed in a dark grey suit.
He probably knows it and thinks he's god’s gift to women.
Yeah? Two weeks ago, your vagina thought he was a gift from God as well.
Ugh… shut up, you hussy!
“You look pretty,” Della compliments me as she leans in for a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“Nothing compared to how beautiful you look,” I reply and take a second to place my hand on her growing belly. “How’s my nephew doing?”
“He’s kicking the hell out of my bladder,” she says with a loving smile around her lips.
“Just like Christopher did,” I remind her of her previous pregnancy.
Carter stood up while I was greeting Della, and taking hold of my shoulders, he pulls me into a brotherly hug. “Thanks for coming.”
“Of course.”
When he pulls back, he asks, “Did you get settled in, okay?”
“Yes, I even got myself a mini-fridge for my smoothies.”
I wave at the rest of our family and friends then ask Della, “Did you get a sitter for Danny and Christopher?”
“Yes, and let me tell you, Danny was not happy,” Della chuckles.
I take the open seat to Della’s right, which unfortunately places me directly opposite Julian.
I greet all the other members of CRC first before I bring my eyes back to Julian. “It’s nice seeing you again, Mr. Reyes.”
“Likewise.” At least he’s polite, and it makes my shoulders relax a little.
I pay attention to the conversation Miss Sebastian is having with Lake and Rhett, and soon, I’m chuckling.
“Let me tell you,” she says to Lake, “My chunk-of-hunk is not as good at golf as he’d like you to believe. Just last week, he almost wacked a ball right at my poor hubby.”
“Ryan walked in front of me just as I took the swing,” Rhett defends himself.
Slowly my eyes drift to Julian, and I find myself staring at him.
The man might have made me angry, but he’s still handsome.
Julian smiles at something Falcon says, then he turns his head toward Carter and catches me looking at him. I quickly drop my eyes to the menu in front of me.
“Carter, you’re flying back tomorrow, right?”
“Yes, first thing in the morning. An unexpected meeting popped up,” Carter explains. “Logan will stay behind for a month to help finalize all the paperwork for the partnership.”
“I appreciate that,” Julian replies.
A waiter comes to take our order, and I decide to only have a starter, not having much of an appetite.
When they bring the food out, and a plate is placed in front of Rhett, he says, “Shit, this looks good.”
“Ten dollars.” The words automatically pop from my mouth.
Widening his eyes, Rhett looks at me. “It used to be five.”
“Inflation,” I shrug, smiling at him.
Rhett digs the note from his wallet and then hands it to me, which has Mason asking, “What just happened?”
Rhett lets out a chuckle. “Jamie has a swear jar. She doesn’t like cursing and has been making money off us for years.”
“Oh.” Mason lets out a chuckle.
“I should do something like that,” Kingsley adds. “I’d be stinking rich in no time.”
“Don’t you dare.” Mason playfully scowls at her.
With the food being served, it grows quiet around the table as we all eat.
Every couple of bites, I find my eyes drifting to Julian, and with a slight shake of my head, I do my best to keep them locked on my plate.
Chapter 6
Julian
The dinner went much better than I anticipated, and I’m glad to see that Jamie kept her word.
Rhett, Marcus, Jaxson, and Miss Sebastian were the first to leave, having to drive back to Los Angeles.
“We should get back to the kids, and there’s still some last-minute packing to do,” Carter says as he rises to his feet. He helps Della stand then moves around the table toward me.
I quickly push back my chair and take Carter’s outstretched hand. “Thank you for joining us for dinner.”
“Pleasure was ours,” he replies.
“Jamie, are you leaving, too?” Layla asks which has Carter and myself glancing at Jamie.
It once again strikes me how beautiful she looks in a dress.
With all those heavenly curves in all the right places, she certainly doesn’t look like a nineteen-year-old.
“Ah… yeah,” Jamie answers while she picks up her purse, then she explains, “Carter arranged a driver for me.”
“Noooo, stay a little longer. You can drive back with us,” Kingsley offers, making a cute face to try and sway Jamie.
“You should stay,” Carter adds.
Jamie looks uncomfortable for a moment, then she smiles at Kingsley and Layla. “Thanks for offering me a ride.”
“I’ll make sure she gets back to the dorm safely,” Mason says as he moves closer to shake Carter’s hand.
“Thank you, I appreciate it.” Carter walks back to Della’s side.
I watch them hug Jamie. “Call if you need anything,” Della says, a worried look on her face.
“The guys are just an hour away,” Carter adds.
“We’ll take good care of her,” Mason offers some comfort as they seem very worried about leaving Jamie on her own.
Knowing I should confirm Mason’s words, I add, “Carter, we’re only ten minutes from Trinity Academy. Jamie can call any of us if she needs to.”
Hopefully, she’ll be just fine on her own.
Glancing at Jamie, she cocks an eyebrow at me, which has me frowning.
Don’t you dare call me.
As though she can read my thoughts, she smiles brightly as if she just accepted the challenge, much to my dismay.
“And we’re right above her suite.” Kingsley grins then continues, “Not that it’s a good thing. We’ll probably get her into all kinds of trouble.”
“You’re not helping,” Mason scolds her.
Carter lets out a chuckle. “No, it’s okay. As long as it’s good trouble.”
They hug Jamie one last time and then leave.
“Why didn’t they stay at this hotel?” I ask Mason.
“They wanted space for the kids to play, so they booked in at a resort instead,” he explains. Turning his attention to Jamie as a waiter approaches, he asks, “Would you like anything else to drink?”
“I’ll just have a coffee, thanks.”
“Ahh… my sister from another mister,” Layla teases.
Lake snorts then mutters, “God, help us all. You’re probably going to corrupt poor Jamie.”
“You bet ya,” Kingsley answers, wiggling
her eyebrows at him. “Guess you’re outnumbered now that there are four of us.”
Mason shakes his head and throws an arm around my shoulders. “We’re recruiting Julian, so it’s safe to say the odds aren’t in your favor.”
It’s been a long time since the three of them included me in anything, and it feels good to be a part of their bantering.
I should make a bigger effort to reconnect with the guys.
“We should do this more often,” I mention.
“Dinner?” The corner of Falcon’s mouth lifts at the idea. “I think that’s a good idea. We can make it a Sunday evening thing.”
“Yeah?” Mason asks, glancing at Lake and the girls. “Are you all okay with it?”
“Sure,” Lake answers while Lee nods next to him.
“I’m in,” Kingsley adds, then glancing at Layla and Jamie, she asks, “We’re in, right girls?”
Layla grins, then leans her head against Falcon’s shoulder. “Yes, that way we get to spend time together even if we have busy weeks.”
Jamie doesn’t say anything, which has me wondering whether she’ll join the group or keep to herself.
Finishing the last of my drink, I say, “I’m going to head up to my suite. I have to prepare for a meeting tomorrow.”
“Damn, me too,” Mason grumbles.
“Let’s call it a night.” Falcon gets up and takes Layla’s hand to pull her closer to him.
“So next Sunday, same time, same place?” Lake asks as we all rise from our chairs.
“I’m looking forward to it,” I reply, thankful that I’ll get to see Falcon on a weekly basis, at least.
“Let’s get going, girls,” Kingsley says.
They all take a turn to hug Lee, and when each couple starts saying goodbye, I begin to feel awkward. My eyes dart to Jamie and being courteous, I say, “Have a good night, Jamie.”
A look of surprise flashes over her face. “You too.” I’m just about to walk away when she adds, “I’ll definitely call if I need anything.”
Under my breath, I growl, “I prefer you lose my number instead.” Turning to Falcon and the guys, I say, “Night, everyone.”
With a chorus of good nights sounding up behind me, I leave the restaurant with a wide smile on my face.
That was nice. Now I have Sunday nights to look forward to.
Chapter 7
She practically fell into my arms.
So pretty, with sparkling blue eyes.
I want to keep her.
Jamie
I’ve been going to classes for a week now, and it still feels strange. Everything is different in college. The lectures, the students, the campus life. It’s a whole new world to get used to, but I’m enjoying it.
After going for a quick jog, I shower and put on something comfortable before grabbing a smoothie and noticing I only have two bottles left.
“I’ll go to the store on Saturday.”
Shutting the door to my suite with a smile on my face because I’ve managed to find a junior who’s willing to give me piano classes, I walk to the elevator.
I make my way out of the dorm, so I can meet Lisa for my first lesson. Feeling excited, I quickly open the smoothie and drink half of it before I reach the music studios on campus.
Hearing someone playing an instrument, I walk toward the beautiful, melancholy sound, and when I peek around the partly open door, I’m surprised to see Julian playing the cello.
Ugh, does he have to look hot no matter what he’s doing?
Staring at him, I’m about to forget I’m supposed to dislike him and, instead, start drooling. But then he glances up, and shock flashes over his face. It’s only for a moment before it’s replaced with an annoyed look.
Yep, he’s still an arrogant ass.
“I didn’t know you’d be here. Pretend you didn’t see me,” I say, then quickly shut the door behind me. Seeing Lisa walk toward me, I smile. “Hey, thanks for meeting me.”
“Sure, let’s use this studio,” she replies, gesturing to the one next to Julian’s.
Following her inside, the excitement I felt before running into Julian, quickly returns.
“Let’s take a seat on the bench,” Lisa says.
Sitting down beside her, it feels hot and stuffy in the room. I take another sip of my smoothie and set the bottle down on the floor beside the bench.
“We’ll start with something easy.” Lisa plays a couple of chords to Chopsticks then glances at me. “Your turn. Place your pointer fingers on F and G and play the keys six times.”
I do as she says and grin even though I’m beginning to feel dizzy.
“Now play E and G six times.”
While pressing down on the keys, I start to feel really unwell and stop so I can focus on swallowing the nauseous feeling down.
Lisa places her hand on my shoulder and asks, “Are you okay?”
“I’m feeling sick all of a sudden,” I explain. “It’s probably something I ate.”
“We can reschedule for tomorrow night?”
“Would you mind?” I ask, feeling a stab of disappointment.
“Not at all.”
She gets up, and when I try to do the same, I lose my balance and fall against the piano before dropping to the floor.
“Jamie!” Lisa shrieks, darting toward me so she can help me up.
“I’m…” My vision blurs, and I feel exhausted.
Did I push too hard during my run earlier?
“Is everything okay?” I hear Julian ask.
I don’t want him to see me like this and try to push myself up off the floor, but my arms buckle under me, and I drop back down. Confused, I stare up, and for a moment, I manage to focus on Julian’s face as he leans over me before my vision blurs again.
What’s happening to me?
“Did she drink anything?” I hear him ask.
“Only this smoothie. She seemed fine until we started with the lesson,” Lisa explains.
“I’ll be fine,” I mumble, just wanting to get back to my suite. “I’ll go sleep whatever this is off.”
“You don’t look fine,” Lisa expresses her concern.
“I’ll take her to her suite,” Julian says, and with his help, I manage to climb to my feet.
I lose my sense of direction, and if it weren’t for Julian’s arm around my waist, I would probably walk into a wall.
The moment we step into the night air, he asks, “Did you seriously drink on campus?”
I want to snap back at him, but my legs begin to feel heavy. I only manage two more steps before my body sags against Julian’s.
“Fuck.” The word sounds harsh as Julian’s arms slip under me, and I’m lifted to his chest.
“I… can… walk,” I try to argue even though I’m not sure I’ll make it to my suite on my own.
It feels like time is warping around me, and the next thing I know, Julian is laying me down on my bed.
“Just how much did you drink?” he asks, sounding angry as hell.
“Didn’t,” I manage to mumble before everything goes black.
Waking up, I feel groggy, and there’s an incessant pounding against my temple.
I let out a groan before I open my eyes, and confused, I glance around my bedroom.
Ugh… it feels like I have a hangover from hell.
Slowly, I sit up and rub my eyes. When I glance down, and I notice I’m still dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, I frown.
Why didn’t I change into my pajamas before climbing into bed?
With the frown not leaving my face, I dig my phone out of my pocket so I can check what time it is. Unlocking my screen, my eyes widen when I see that I have a couple of messages. Opening my messenger, I read the first one.
Lisa: I hope you’re feeling better. Should we meet at eight again?
Feeling better?
I think back to when I last saw Lisa. It was after she responded to the ad I put on the notice board. I was feeling fine then.
I open the next mess
age, and the frown deepens on my forehead.
Julian: Do you have a drinking problem, I should be aware of? Or is it drugs? In the future, at least have the decency to get drunk off-campus. Trinity Academy is not the place for you to indulge.
What in the world?
At first, anger burns through me, but then worry quickly begins to gnaw at my insides.
I press reply and quickly type: What are you talking about?
When Julian doesn’t respond immediately, I go to the restroom to relieve myself. After I’ve changed into fresh clothes, I wash my face and brush my teeth.
Hearing my phone ping, I go to check it.
Julian: You mean to tell me you were so drunk last night you can’t remember what you did?
Quickly, I hit reply.
Jamie: Did I see you last night?
Julian: Yes, and you were out of it. Keep it off-campus.
Feeling rattled, I try to remember anything from the night before, but my last memory is of when I went jogging.
Jamie: I didn’t drink, Julian. The last I remember was when I went for a jog.
Julian: If that’s really the case, you should make an appointment to see a doctor or go visit the campus nurse. You were totally out of it last night.
I stare at his reply, my worry morphing into full-blown anxiety. How can I not remember an entire evening?
I open the message from Lisa.
I hope you’re feeling better. Should we meet at eight again?
Meet again? Did I see her last night?
Jamie: Did we meet up last night?
Luckily I don’t have to wait long for her reply.
Lisa: Yes, for your first lesson. You didn’t feel well, and Mr. Reyes helped you get back to your suite. Are you feeling better now?
Crap, this is not good.
Not good at all.
What the hell happened last night?
I wasn’t well last night, and this morning I have a hangover, but I didn’t drink.
Was it food poisoning, perhaps?
I search for the symptoms and seeing headache, dizziness, and nausea, I let out a sigh of relief. That explains why it feels like I have a hangover.
Julian (Trinity Academy Book 4) Page 4