by Alice Moore
“Of course, it is, Charlotte. I just want to know if you have any questions.” Both girls shook their heads, and Charlotte was the first to back away and head for the door. Cocking my head at Julianne, I knew my question sparkled in my eyes. Her cheeks stained red, and she ducked her head before glancing back to make sure we were alone.
“A- actually… I was wondering if I could study here for a while until my brother comes to get me?” This was three days in a row, I realized. Blinking slowly, I nodded as my brows came together. As if sensing my question, Julianne shuffled her messenger bag on her shoulder in discomfort. “It’s just- my parents are in China this week trying to get this new deal, and my brother doesn’t get out of work until 4p.m..”
“I’m happy to have you here, Julianne. You’re welcome to stay as long as you want.” My words had an instant effect, and I narrowed my eyes on her as she walked to her desk. I might need to have a talk with this brother.
I’d never even met Julianne’s parents or brother. From what I knew, her father was in oil, and her mother was a huge fashion designer. Neither had time for her even to pick her up from school; she usually had a driver like the other girls.
Turning back to my papers, I frowned behind my curtain of hair. Julianne reminded me of myself; my mother worked three jobs and the only thing stopping my siblings and I from burning the house down was my eldest brother. When she wasn’t working, she was sleeping a precious few hours just to go back to work.
It appeared that both sides of the spectrum weren’t so different as most might think.
“Sorry I’m so late, JJ. I-“ Whirling around at the clearly male voice that boomed through my classroom, I nearly fell out of my chair from surprise. Clutching the armrests tightly, my blood instantly filled with adrenaline as my heart sprung into my throat. The room spun, and I blinked hard before really seeing who was crowding my door.
My breath caught as Roark stared at me through wide eyes, mouth agape, and I clicked my teeth in an effort to keep them together. He was just as handsome as I remembered in his fresh, crisp button down, and my gaze trailed absently down his loose tie before snapping to his face when he cleared his throat.
“Excuse me- uh… I didn’t mean to intrude.” Roark’s voice was buttery smooth, deep, and my lips twitched in a smile as it wrapped around me. “I didn’t know you worked here, Ally?”
“So, you do remember me…” Speaking up before I had a chance to stop myself, my smile widened at the faint redness that filled Roark’s cleanly shaven cheeks. Pushing myself up from my chair, I shook my head at how adorable he was. The notion sent a shiver down my spine, and I clasped my suddenly clammy palms together before he spoke up again.
“Yes… Well… I don’t usually come in, but I was hoping to speak to you about something.” Glancing away, Roark drew my attention to Julianne as she looked frantically between us, and he smiled tenderly before addressing her. “Why don’t you go wait in the car, JJ. I just need a quick word.”
“Uh… yeah- sure. Okay.” Hurriedly packing up her stuff, Julianne was gone in a matter of seconds. She shut the door softly, and once I heard the click of the mechanism, I let out a gust of a breath. Across the room, Roark visibly shoved off the awkwardness that threatened to drown me. Envy spread through my chest, and he strode over to lean on the desk closest to mine.
He wasn’t model material by any means, but the sight of him still took my breath away, and my heart pattered in my chest. Roark’s shrew, bright, hazel eyes scanned me slowly, assessing, and I blinked when they met mine. Still blinding. Jesus.
“Julianne told me you’re different than the other instructor’s here.” My cheeks warmed at that, and Roark cracked a small smile before his expression became professionally stoic again. It was too bad I couldn’t seem to do that, but I couldn’t dwell on it when he continued speaking. “Do you have anyone in your class named Cassandra Geroni?”
“Yes, I do. Why?” Surprise colored my voice, and Roark pursed his lips together in what looked like irritation. My ‘teacher’ mode kicked in, and I frowned under furrowed brows as he sighed roughly.
“Julianne is being bullied online by her and a few other girls. I’ve tried to contact the school since the beginning of the semester about it, but no one seems to care. Her other teachers are reporting that her grades are slipping- she mentioned that you made her feel safe, so I was hoping you’d be able to help.”
“’Safe’… that’s the word she used for me, specifically?” Incredulous annoyance leaked into my tone, pouring into my chest when Roark nodded firmly. A fine, red mist settled in my mind, and I flexed my fingers absently as I tried to comprehend the situation.
Of course Julianne would be a target for bullying; she was quiet, shy, and meek.
Rubbing my forehead with the butt of my palm, I tilted my head back and made a feeble attempt at the thought.
“Okay… I can’t really do anything about the cyberbullying, Roark. It’s online, and unless it happens in my classroom…” Letting the implication hang in the air, I lifted my head to stare at Roark through narrowed eyes. “What, exactly, were you expecting? This is my first-year teaching, and even if it wasn’t, I doubt anyone would listen to me. This school is toxic- not to say she won’t be bullied somewhere else if you pulled her out.”
“I know- I mean, I don’t really know what I was expecting… I just- Julianne was there for me after the accident and I want to return the favor.” My eyelids parted so far, they filled with fluid, and I couldn’t stop my jaw from dropping. Before me, Roark stiffened, and he reached to rub his jaw roughly. “Shit- you probably don’t know about that. Anyway- the point is, I need to help her. She’s my little sister.”
“N- no, I didn’t. But- Roark… I can only help her when she’s with me, and she doesn’t have any problems in my class.” Struggling to stay on track after such a bomb landed smack in the middle of an already volatile conversation, I took a slightly unsteady breath. “You have to know that the system is reactive, not proactive, Roark. No one here is going to take bullying seriously until someone ends up hurt or dead. Believe me, I know what Julianne is going through- I really, really do- but she’s only with me an hour out of the day.”
“… I understand, Ally.” The strained quality in Roark’s voice was painful to listen to, and I automatically reached out to touch his arm. He didn’t pull back, and after a brief second took a sharp inhale. “Listen- I know we have a bit to talk about. Would you like to come to dinner with me tomorrow night?”
“Y- yeah. Sure. I’m sorry I couldn’t be more help, Roark- really, I am.” Butterflies fluttered in my stomach, and Roark offered me something between a smirk and a grimace. Pushing himself off the desk, he wandered towards the door to escape my classroom quietly, and I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.
Roark
My thumbs hovered over my cell phone, poised to create a text, but I just couldn’t figure out what to say. The stool holding me up creaked softly when I shuffled, and I hooked my shoes against the support rung to bounce my knee.
Ally- God, it’d been such a shock to see her here. Staring at the last message she sent me so long ago, I cracked a smirk as memories of our last date flooded my mind’s eye. Autumn had just taken hold, and we’d decided to have our date at her apartment rather than brave the weather. Closing my eyes, I took a breath to smell the phantom scent of pizza, to see the movie we’d watch flash behind my eyelids.
“If you’re going to text her, today would be the day, Roark…” The invasive voice chased away my reverie, and I cracked open my eyes to frown. My nerves tingled lightly, and I narrowed my gaze on Sam as he sauntered into the kitchen. His shit-eating grin caused my stomach to tighten, and he positioned himself across the island from me to prop his chin in his hand.
“I’m well aware, Sam. Did you need anything, or are you here to harass me?” At the semi-serious question, Sam only shrugged carelessly, and I set my phone down to run my hand through my hair. “I wonder wh
y I remember her…”
“Dude, she’s the reason you went through a divorce from the evil bitch Carla. You may not remember it, but you and I had a really long, incredibly serious discussion about how strangers treat you better than your own wife. If you ask me, the fact that she’s JJ’s teacher is a sign.” Rolling my eyes at Sam’s self-righteous tone, I scratched my scalp even though I knew the memories wouldn’t come back. “Besides- you should get back out there, Roark. Your divorce was finalized seven months ago, but you won’t even try. I don’t understand it- you don’t remember Carla, so why not date someone even casually?”
Keeping my mouth shut at that, I fiddled absently with my phone as I contemplated Sam’s reasoning. The past seven months had been insanely hectic, but he had a point; that amount of time was fairly long considering I couldn’t remember being married.
You’re less likely to recover stressful memories, Mr. Long. Trying to force it will only hurt you. The doctor’s words from nine months ago floated behind my eyes, and I let out a gust of air. Glancing at Sam, I pursed my lips together at the intensity of his stare.
“I suppose you’re right.” Turning my attention to my phone, I circled my thumbs a few times over the keyboard before managing to work up the courage to type. “Are you ever going to tell me why Carla and I broke up in the first place?”
I could remember dating Carla; I could even remember the day we got married, but everything after that was dark. From what I knew, she turned into a ‘raging she-demon’- Sam’s words, not mine. My parents had explained that she turned a complete 180 after our wedding, and that I had been too in love to believe anyone.
Tapping the ‘send’ button, I blinked before reading my own text.
Roark: Hey, Ally. Want to meet up at Cornish Winery tonight?
“Where’s Cornish Winery?” Confusion colored my voice, but before I could navigate to the browser on my phone, Ally replied.
Ally: You remember that, too? Sure. How’s 6?
Furrowing my brows, I cocked my head slightly before Sam reached to cover my phone with his hand. His eyes were bright with amusement when I glanced up, and he carefully took my phone from me to set it face down between us.
“That’s the place you took her on a date the first time, Roark. You don’t remember that?” Releasing an irritated sigh, I shook my head before he hummed. “But you remember your third date with her. I wonder why? Maybe she’ll shed some light on what happened between them.”
“I’m not sure. I just remember… she cried during an animated kid’s movie while eating pizza… I can’t dredge up anything else.” Sam had insisted I had dated other people besides Ally before deciding to get a divorce, but I couldn’t remember them. That one scene with her was burned into my mind, and even a traumatic head injury couldn’t erase it.
My heart squeezed in my chest at the memory, and Ally’s phantom sniffles caused my ears to twitch slightly. She’d full on bawled her eyes out, and she didn’t even try to apologize for it.
She was so pure.
“You must remember it subconsciously, then. Well, you’re definitely making progress, Roark- no doubt about that. You started remembering your businesses after a few weeks, and now you’re remembering a woman that isn’t your ex-wife. It’s a good thing she’s not around, or you might’ve had some real problems.” The seriousness in Sam’s voice broke me from my thoughts, and I nodded absently.
Three days into a two-month coma, Carla wanted to take me off life support. She tried to have my entire empire transferred to her. When the divorce was finalized, she went after me in court for anything she could get.
I could only imagine what she did while we were married- or what I allowed her to do because I was in love with her.
“Pretty soon you won’t have to hover over me and can move back to your own place. I’m pretty sure my grocery bill has tripled since you came here.” Changing the subject to stave off the shiver that lodged between my shoulder blades, I grinned at the offended look that overtook Sam’s expression. Swiping my phone off the island, I typed out a reply to Ally in the lightening atmosphere with steady fingers.
“You know I’m one of the top researchers in neuroscience, Roark. You’re lucky I could fit you into my schedule! If you weren’t my cousin, you’d be on my waiting list until next year.” Snorting as I tapped the ‘send’ button, I shook my head at Sam’s bravado before leaning back on my stool.
“Seriously, though- I never intended to keep you out of work so long, Sam.”
“It’s fine, honestly. I was in need of a vacation anyway, and you’ve always been the guy to call for a good time. When I go back to work, I’ll be sure to make a breakthrough.” Rounding the island to clap his hand on my shoulder, Sam smiled genuinely before whirling around to rummage through the refrigerator. “Your dad is paying me an exorbitant amount of money to keep you company and make sure you’re alright, but I would’ve done it anyway. Truth be told, I think he just wants me to make sure you don’t go back to Carla when she burns through the chunk of change your dad settled on her.”
“Will she really go through $18 million by now?” Tapping the edge of my phone on the tiled surface of the island, I frowned deeply even as Sam barked out a laugh. I knew very precious little about Carla from before my accident, and no one wanted to risk telling me. My neurologist had driven home that triggers were to be avoided at all cost, and my father took it to an extreme.
He went behind my back and paid Carla more than enough to disappear after I’d collapsed during an alimony battle.
“She’s not a long-term planner, Roark. But- enough about her. You should go take a shower and stuff. Three hours is going to fly be until your date.” When I turned around, Sam had half a BLT shoved into his mouth, and I rolled my eyes as I jumped off my stool.
“It sounds like you’re more excited about this than I am. Idiot.” Grinning around his sandwich as he peeled the wrapping off, Sam grunted before leaning over the sink. Snatching my phone, I made my way out of the kitchen and through the house. Our conversation swirled behind my eyes, and I took the stairs slowly to the second floor.
Why was that memory about Ally the only one I had? I hadn’t even thought about her until I saw her today, and that had been what popped into my head. Her name had even escaped me for a few seconds until I saw her smile.
But I could smell the aromas of her apartment; I could feel her body shivering as she cried during that movie. It was inarguably the most potent memory I had now, and I didn’t know why.
“I guess I’ll just ask her…” Glancing at the clock on my cell phone as I reached the second floor, I pursed my lips together tightly. “I have to figure out where this place is before I do anything.”
Passing by Julianne’s room, I couldn’t stop myself from taking a peek to find her on her bed with her laptop in her lap. Concentration masked her expression, her fingers typing furiously, and I leaned on the door frame to watch her for a long moment.
“What are you doing, JJ?” Posing my question, I narrowed my eyes on my sister when she jumped slightly. Her hair bounced when she looked up, and she smiled small as she swiped it away from her cheeks. I was positive I’d never met someone so graceful; maybe it was because she was my sister, but I didn’t put too much thought into it.
“Oh- just this project Ms. Mazkov gave me. I’m building a pretend research facility and stuff, but right now I’m just organizing everything.” Ducking my head in a nod, I slipped my phone in my jeans pocket to saunter into Julianne’s room. Our parents spared no expense; anything she wanted, she got.
Except for their time.
“A pretend research facility for what?” Positioning myself near the edge of her bed, I peered down at Julianne’s laptop screen through narrowed eyes. She was browsing properties, and she turned the device slightly to give me a better view.
“Uh- Botany research. Ms. Mazkov said I had to start from the ground up. I never knew how hard it was to start a business. It makes me wonder how
Dad did it.” Humming in acknowledgment, I dropped my palm on Julianne’s head to rub her crown affectionately. Smiling down at her, my cheek twitched at the intense blush that spread across her face.
“If you need any help, let me know? I do have some expertise in the area, you know.” She might’ve only been 14 years old, but Julianne didn’t act like a teenager. She rarely had friends over or spent an obnoxious amount of time on her cell phone. Watching her nod, pride swelled in my chest as she turned back to what she was doing.
This project sounds like it’ll slowly but surely take over Julianne’s life… which might not be a bad thing.
I had been against my little sister going to Wells Academy, but it seemed to be working out for the better after all this time. Maybe, with this, she’d find herself too busy to worry about what people were saying about her online.
Lord only knew how fragile and sensitive she was.
Ally
“Roark- you’re early.” Breathless and a little high pitched, my voice portrayed my surprise as Roark stood up to greet me. The restaurant was almost empty, and I scanned his suit-clad body none-too-stealthily even while he did the same. Smiling even as heat suffused my cheeks, I carefully shirked off my coat before he spoke up.
“It’s wonderful to see you, too, Ally. You look beautiful.” My heart did a pitter-patter at the compliment, and Roark took my coat to hang it up behind him. Glancing down at myself, I smoothed my slim, forest green dress as nerves tingled my fingertips. The fabric clung to my thighs and waist, and I reached to pick at the bunched, modest neckline.
“Thank you. You’re very handsome as well. I was surprised when you brought up this restaurant…” Guilt nibbled at my gut, and my smile turned slightly sour. “I- I might have looked you up last night. I’m sorry.”
“Oh no- it’s fine. That’s actually what I wanted to explain. So, what did you read?” A hostess wordlessly gestured to us, and my heels clicked on the hard floor as I followed her with Roark behind me. Pursing my lips together, I tried frantically to organize my thoughts on the short journey to our table. The place hadn’t changed very much in the past year, and we slid into a surprisingly comfortable booth before I answered his question.