《The Boyfriend》


 Chapter 1 When Summer Ended

    ¡°Heeeyyy girlfriend!¡± Kelsey¡¯s voice greeted her through the phone. She was in her baby blue bathing suit she bought before going on an exotic ind summer vacation. She video called once a week throughout summer, sometimes more often whenever she needed a girl talk while she was on her solo getaway.


    ¡°Hey babe ¡­ wow you look really tan there, are you still out on the beach?¡± Julie can only see parts of her perfect body and perfect face through the small screen.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Kelsey lifted her phone to show where she was, a beautiful white sand beach in the Bhorma Ind where it¡¯s always sunny. People lying around on beach towels enjoying the sun. There were people running in the background, she could hear the waves mixed with the sound of seagulls. Then the camera went back to her face lying on the beach with her hair fall back under a beach hat.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve been here with me if it weren¡¯t for your geek mode that decided to turn up before summer, how¡¯s your study going?¡± she asked.


    Julie put aside her books in front of her and showed Kelsey the site of the campus cafeteria. The almost empty seats with only a few international students who didn¡¯t go back to their home countries for the summer. Trays of campus cafeteria food on their tables. Some sat alone with their books just like Julie.


    ¡°Jeez ¡­ I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re not sick of that ce, we were there every day for the whole entire year ¡­ you could¡¯ve get suntanned, drink Pina Cdas with me here, watching half-naked men running on the beach and getid!!¡± Kelsey was not letting her off the hook for noting with her on that vacation.


    ¡°I need to finish all my credits early Kells, I can save some time and money next year ¡­ you know that, I got A¡¯s for business management and statistics,¡± she announced proudly.


    ¡°Shit! You took those already? Now, who am I supposed to get my cheat sheet from? You¡¯re really ruining it for me Jules,¡± she whined. Julieughed it off.


    ¡°Hey, I met someone a few days ago ¡­ he¡¯s super hot, sexy lips, gorgeous eyes, great body ¡­ I was nning to check him out tonight, you know ¡­ if he¡¯s got a big rock hard cock!!¡± her voice was echoing in the quiet cafeteria Julie had to turn down the volume.


    She giggled at Kelsey¡¯s silliness, she had always been the girl who gets the guy. Ever since they were friends in kindergarten, she never had a memory of Kelsey not getting a guy she wanted.


    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re gonna have a hot date tonight? Be careful though, do you have anyone who can check on you out there?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be that person! But you bailed on me for Business Management and Statistics, remember?¡±


    Julie sighed, ¡°You¡¯re not letting this go are you? I¡¯m currently studying Digital Marketing if I haven¡¯t mentioned that already, and I¡¯m gonna ace this one too!¡± she made a face on the screen to tease her. Kelseyughed out loud. ¡°Are you sure about this guy? Do you know anything about him?¡± Julie was often worried about how careless Kelsey can be.


    ¡°He¡¯s a nice guy, MOM, you know ¡­ the kind who likes to read stuff, I actually met him at a bookstore when I was looking for a gift for you ¡­ can you imagine? Of all the ces on this ind, I actually met a guy at the bookstore ¡­ oh and he loved that poet you always talked about so I pretended I was interested, and that¡¯s how I got the hot date tonight!!¡± herugh can be heard by the people at the other table across from Julie¡¯s.


    ¡°I guess it worked out pretty well, I kinda helped you hook up with him ¡­ indirectly, right? Just be careful Kells ¡­ check in with me before and after your date, kay?¡±


    Kelsey was the wild one, and Julie was the quiet one. It¡¯s always been like that since they met for the first time when they were four years old. It was an opposite attraction that developed into a symbiotic mutualism, they were like sisters from a different, but somehow it worked.


    Julie took her books and her folder with Steven Tyler¡¯s face stered on it, she walked towards the library after the call. She was finishing up her study for her next exam in the summer sses she took.


    Summer was almost over, she traded the bikinis for the books this time. She would¡¯ve gone with Kelsey to Bhorma Ind but something happened, and it was too tempting of an opportunity to miss when she could take 3 sses early for the exchange of an internship the next academic year, so she took it.


    She didn¡¯te from a wealthy family like Kelsey. When her parents divorced, remarried, and had their own children, Julie felt left out and decided to go to college away from them. She applied for a schrship and got into University Of Gastonburry with a full schrship. She toiled in school and was determined to finish as soon as possible to start her own life.


    Spending time at the library until dark was her usual day at campus, if it¡¯s not the library, it would¡¯ve been the bookstore or the reading cafe they had so many of in Gastonburry. She walked back to her dorm with books clutched in her arms. The walkway was almost empty with only a few students here and there. She can hear her footsteps as well as other people not far from her. Some students were back from their summer holiday, she thought.


    She walked up the stairwell through the back door and came out on the third floor where her room was. She liked to take the stairs for the exercise. When she walked in the corridor, she saw Preston hanging out with a couple of his band buddies, she looked away.


    It was Kelsey¡¯s idea to stay at the mixed dorm so she could asionally hook up with one of the guys. Julie always wanted to stay in the girls¡¯ dorm but she couldn¡¯t refuse her best friend¡¯s plea. Kelsey didn¡¯t want to share a room with anyone other than her.


    Preston was ncing at her from the corner of his eye, she rushed to her door. She didn¡¯t know he was back. They hadn¡¯t spoken since that night she tried so hard to forget. She rejected every call he made and blocked his number altogether.


    Her heartbeat was quickening, she felt his gaze even from a few doors down. She went into her room, closed the door behind her, and turned the key.


    A few minutester, her phone rang. It was Preston. She had recently unblocked his number for reasons she still couldn¡¯t understand. She let it ring until it stopped ringing, she knew he was right outside her door. Her heart was throbbing from beneath her chest, she waited ¡­ but it didn¡¯t ring again.

 Chapter 2 Good Morning Jules

    She was awoken by the sound of a rooster screaming its lungs out like its life was depending on it. She opened her eyes in a heavy daze, slowly gaining her consciousness, realizing that her rm had set off the annoying sound. She took her phone and there were five miscalls from Kelsey. She remembered Kelsey never made that phone call to check in with her about her date. She dialed her number.


    The call was picked up after two rings and she can see white bedsheets tangled on Kelsey¡¯s long and leaned tanned leg. It slowly went up to her exposed breasts, Kelsey was yawning and stretching at the other end of that call.From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Jeez ¡­ five miscalls just for me to see you naked after a hot date? I thought you were in trouble or something,¡± Julie was relieved even though slightly annoyed, as beautiful as she was, she didn¡¯t really enjoy looking at her best friend¡¯s bare breasts first thing in the morning. She threw herself back on her bed, covered in her vintage T-shirt and long pants she felt sofortable in for sleeping.


    ¡°Good morning to you too, Miss Sunshine,¡± Kelsey¡¯s hoarse voice sounded sexy without her even trying.


    ¡°Where are you? Are you at your hotel?¡± The bed didn¡¯t look like it, hence the question.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m at his ce ¡­ he actually owns a ce on this ind, his family¡¯s vacation home,¡± she lowered her voice not wanting to be heard by the guy she was dating. ¡°He is soooo fucking hot in bed, we had a fuckathonst night and we were slightly drunk ¡­ it was ¡­.¡± Kelsey¡¯s mouth was wide opened and she flipped her eyes to prove her point.


    Julie rubbed her face, ¡°God ¡­ I don¡¯t think I want to hear the details so early in the morning, but ¡­ good to know,¡± she replied sarcastically.


    Kelseyughed again, ¡°And you know what else?¡± it was a question that didn¡¯t need an answer. ¡°He cooks!! He¡¯s an aspiring Chef and he¡¯s going to have his own restaurant chain and everything ¡­ he was bbering about itst night, the whole bit and pieces but I just couldn¡¯t wait to get his cock inside me ¡­ and my godddd ¡­¡± she made another face that made Julie grimaced in slight disgust.


    ¡°Okay ¡­ okay ¡­ I get the point, I¡¯m happy for you bitch, so you¡¯ve found the guy husband worthy ¡­ finally?¡±


    ¡°What?? Hell no ¡­ not really ¡­ I couldn¡¯t stand listening to him talking so seriously about almost everything ¡­ but I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t think this will go beyond fucking on the ind, a girl needs a good fuck on her solo vacation, right?¡± she giggled.


    Julie rolled her eyes, Kelsey had never taken things seriously, all the guys she had ever been with were solely measured by their ability to please her in bed. She never seemed to think to find a guy who has good qualities that can keep a rtionship longer than he can fuck.


    ¡°Preston called ¡­ he asked about you,¡± Kelsey said.


    Julie let out a long frustrated breath, ¡°I saw himst night, I didn¡¯t pick up his call ¡­ what did he say?¡±


    ¡°You finally unblock him? That¡¯s good, I think you should give him a chance, Jules, he was in pretty bad shape after you blocked him ¡­ he was checking if he can talk to you again, and I said no ¡­ I think he almost cried.¡± That exins why he didn¡¯t call again after the first ring.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know ¡­ I¡¯m still ¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, take your time, I¡¯m just saying ¡­ you have a special bond with him, I know you canceled on me because of what happened, but I think you just need time to figure it out, he loves you to death if you ask me.¡±


    Julie fell silent, she knew Kelsey was right, she just needed a little more time to be okay.


    ¡°Hey, I gotta go, I think he¡¯s done cooking ¡­ I¡¯ll talk to youter, babe, or ¡­ if I¡¯m too busy fucking the Chef, I¡¯ll see you in a couple of days, okay? I miss you!¡±


    ¡°Take care, Kells, miss you too,¡± she hung up the phone.


    She got out of bed and changed into her jeans and fresh t-shirt, putting on her oversized cardigan over it. Put on her vintage leather Dr. Martens, the only pair of boots she owned, and took her backpack. She was ready for another day of pure solitude of reading, studying, doing herst test of the summer, and enjoying the rest of the day to go to the bookstore and go crazy.


    She stopped by at the coffee ce near campus to order a hottte to go, her usual, no sugar, extra shot of espresso for an early boost. When she got out of the shop, someone almost knocked her precious cup off her hand. It was a good thing she held onto it with her dear life.


    ¡°Hey! Watch it!¡± she eximed. When she saw the guy who had bumped her shoulder, she shrank and looked away.


    ¡°Jules! Sorry about that, I didn¡¯t see you there,¡± Preston said. Julie shrugged and tried to hurry away, but Preston followed.


    ¡°Kelsey¡¯s not back yet? I haven¡¯t seen her around,¡± he tried the safest question to ask her. She knew he was just making up conversations to stall her.


    ¡°Obviously not,¡± Julie said irritated.


    ¡°When will she be back? What are you doing today?¡± His questions were unsettling.


    She lifted her books, ¡°Study ¡­ test ¡­ boring stuff, nothing you¡¯d be interested in.¡± She took a glimpse at him, his wavy brown hair brushed against his cheeks, strands of hair fell on his forehead, he tucked them behind his ear and showed his ck earing in one of its holes, his dark blue eyes pleading for her eptance, she shuddered at the thought.


    ¡°You wanna get together afterward?¡±


    She hated it, to turn him down over and over again, she wished he could just take the hint and leave her alone.


    ¡°No ¡­ I¡¯m very busy ¡­ Kelsey will be back in a couple of days, don¡¯t look for her until then,¡± she rejected him and walked away.


    ¡°Ohe on Jules, let¡¯s hang outter for a few drinks?¡± he stopped following her, but still expecting a favorable response.


    Julie didn¡¯t look back, she just waved at him and took a little run toward the campus building. She was panting when she arrived at the lobby, feeling relieved for having gotten rid of Preston. Usually, it wasn¡¯t that easy.


    Three years almost, when she first had a crush on that guy. She would shrivel down to a lump of mousse whenever he was near. For him to even know that she existed was a day of celebration for her. They were acquainted because he was friends with Kelsey first, that was pretty much how Julie was acquainted with anyone on campus. She used to daydream about Preston in her reading time at the library, or anywhere. They gradually became friends. They became inseparable just like her and Kelsey, but then it happened one day, and it was never the same again for her.

 Chapter 3 Last Year In College

    She was wearing a long-sleeved cropped top with her super mini skirt, her tanned legs shimmered from the body oil she smeared all over it, she smelled like coconut vani. Kelsey was looking at herself in the body mirror in the corner of their dorm room, trying to decide whether to tie her hair in a ponytail or just leave them hanging over her shoulders.


    She didn¡¯t really need to do anything with herself, Kelsey would¡¯ve looked gorgeous in pajamas. She was one of those girls who looked perfect in their Instagram posts ¡°woke up like this¡±, yes they do exist.


    Julie was satisfied with her babydoll dress, covered with her oversized sweater. It took her a few seconds to look in the mirror when she tied her hair in a messy bun in her half of the room where she stick her walls with posters of Rock Stars from the 70¡¯s and 80¡¯s. ¡°Ready?¡± she asked Kelsey who was still undecided. ¡°Just leave it as it is, Kells, you look fine,¡± she continued.


    They walked to the campus building to start a new semester. It was going to be a short one for Julie as she had already taken a few sses in advance.


    ¡°You know something crazy? That guy I hooked up with in Bhorma was actually from here! When I told him where I go to school he said his family owned a house here in Gastonburry, he used to go to West End Uni when he took his bachelor¡¯s in Business Management, can you believe that?¡± Kelsey said on their way to campus.


    ¡°So he¡¯s here? He lives here in Gastonburry?¡± Julie asked. ¡°Well technically, he owns a house here, but he moved aroundtely because he¡¯s starting this restaurant business I told you about ¡­ he graduated a few years back, and then he went to St. James to study culinary ¡­ or something like that, I can¡¯t remember every detail he told me, well to make a long story short, he¡¯s here! And he¡¯s meeting us after today¡¯s sses,¡± Kelsey was smiling, but Julie knew her too well to sense there was something she wasn¡¯t saying.


    ¡°Wow ¡­ this is a first, huh?¡± Juliemented on a seemingly serious rtionship Kelsey was having with the new guy.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Kelsey grimaced, ¡°That¡¯s the thing ¡­ I don¡¯t think I want it right now, I mean ¡­ to bemitted to one guy feels so intimidating, you know? I want to have fun ¡­ I was having fun with him, and to have him here every day like we¡¯remitted wouldn¡¯t be fun anymore,¡± and there it was, the thing that bothered her.


    ¡°Well he sounds like a great guy to be in a rtionship with, great sex, a good cook, he¡¯s rich ¡­ that¡¯s for sure, not everybody can afford to have a house here in Gastonburry,¡± Julie was encouraging her wild bestie to consider something more stable.


    ¡°I know, right? But it gets boring when ites to being steady, sometimes it¡¯s better not to know someone too much, the mystery is more exciting ¡­ but when you start to know how they snore in the morning or how they like their omelet, it just kills it for me.¡±


    Sometimes Julie wonders if marriage was ever in Kelsey¡¯s path, she was a female predator, she loved sex more than she was interested in a rtionship. Julie had seen how her best friend operate when she was prowling for a hot date, which she never missed. And every time the guy came close, she turns them down or simply ran away like he was a gue. She avoided intimacy, never wanted to get close to her date¡¯s friends and God forbid, family.


    But who was Julie to judge, she was infatuated with Preston the first time sheid eyes on him. The Rockstar of UOG. She had always had a soft spot for singers, especially from a rock band. She never met a real one before until she met Preston. She was a total romantic, she had always dreamed of a good romantic rtionship with a guy of her dream. Something that she gradually learned only existed in fairy tales. Especially after thest guy she dated in high school cheated on her.


    Kelsey sometimes made fun of her for being so timid with boys because she wanted them to approach her like in the books she read a lot. But they were all the same, shallow, uninspired, empty, boys withme games that she was unmoved by. As she developed a very close friendship with Preston, she learned that he was actually a guy version of Kelsey.


    She used to have high hopes in love and everything thates with it, but after what happened with Preston, she just shut herselfpletely and buried herself in books. All she wanted now was to graduate as early as possible, leave Gastonburry behind her and what happened there, for good.

 Chapter 4 Nathan Sommers

    Kelsey was yawning in ss, she couldn¡¯t look more bored and suicidal than any other time she was in a ssroom. She turned to Julie and made a hand gesture as if she was tying a rope around her neck and pulled until her tongue rolled out. She was the kind of girl who would go as far as sleeping with the Professor just to pass a ss because she couldn¡¯t stand being in it and having to read all the papers when it was time for an exam.


    Julie smiled in amusement, she kept jotting down notes after notes like she always does. She sometimes doodled on the faces of Mick Jagger, Axl Rose, or Tommy Lee and other times, Preston Hicks which she already tore down from her binder. She never had a grade below B+, her GPA was always close to a perfect 4. 0 and that was on a bad semester.


    When the ss was finally over, Kelsey let out a sigh of relief as if she was tortured for an hour and a half. It was only the first day.


    Her phone rang, she quickly picked it up. Julie couldn¡¯t hear what she was saying but it was brief and she took her hand right after she hung up.


    ¡°He¡¯s in the lobby,e on!¡± she said and they ran along the corridors to the lobby to find a ck BMW was waiting in front of it. Kelsey immediately jumped into the front passenger seat, Julie was hesitant to open the backseat door.


    The car smelled nice, a soft musky cologne that must¡¯vee from the guy who was driving. His thick ck hair was clean-shaven exposing his neck, and that was the only visible thing about the guy from the back. Kelsey was smooching him from the side but he seemed a little shy because Julie was there. He put his arm on the steering wheel and another on the clutch. His hairy wrists and smooth hands were the other things she can see from behind.


    ¡°Hey there ¡­ you must be Julie,¡± he greeted her as he looked at the rearview mirror to find her gaze. He had thick eyebrows, dark brown eyes. Julie returned his greet with a smile. He turned around to shake her hand, ¡°I¡¯m Nathan, I¡¯ve heard so much about you,¡± he smiled, Kelsey never mentioned he was Eurasian.


    ¡°Hi, nice to meet you, Nathan,¡± her voice was soft.


    ¡°So what do you want for lunch, girls?¡± he asked. Julie didn¡¯t reply, Kelsey usually made all the decisions, after all, it was her date and she was just riding along with them.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s more of your department, impress us with your choice!¡± Kelsey said she had a point.


    ¡°Okay ¡­ Belvedere than, it¡¯s my favorite bistro, they have killer lunch menus there,¡± Nathan said as he drove out of the campus area towards the cafe avenues near the Gastonburry library.


    The ce was rather hidden between stacks and rows of cafes and restaurants, the entrance door was a bit narrow and covered with vines that grew all the way down from the second floor. But once they opened the ck metal door, the interior was as honey as an old French bistro in the French countryside. The smell of coffee and a hearty meal that was freshly cooked dominated the ce. The people there seemed to have known Nathan, he was a regr there. Nathan pointed to the corner seat where he usually sits, and one of the waiters followed them to take their orders.


    Nathan was casually ordering his usual, while Julie flipped through the menu. She took her time before she decided to order the same thing Kelsey ordered, and just before she closed the menu, ¡°And a hottte with an extra shot of espresso,¡± she said at exactly the same time as Nathan.


    Kelsey rolled her eyes, ¡°Have I told you that you always ordered the same type of coffee as her?¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Finally! A coffee drinker, she drinks tea ¡­ I never understood why people prefer tea over coffee,¡± Julie said.


    Nathan wasughing lightly, ¡°I don¡¯t prefer tea either, you know there¡¯s a coffee ce that serves the best gourmet coffee in Gastonburry ¡­.¡± he remembered.


    ¡°Morning Brew,¡± Julie finished his sentence and he was amazed.


    ¡°It¡¯s the best, right?¡±


    Julie nodded. Kelsey rolled her eyes again, ¡°That¡¯s where she often ditch me whenever she gets that loner mood.¡±


    ¡°I heard you were supposed to join her in Bhorma, she never stopped talking about it,¡± Nathan held Kelsey¡¯s hand and looked at her with infatuations.


    ¡°She never shut up about it with me either,¡± Julie mentioned.


    Kelsey kissed him on the lips, she seemed to be smitten by his dreamy eyes, ¡°I¡¯m d you found me there, otherwise, I¡¯d be lost and alone because I have a best friend who often ditches me to study.¡±


    The waiter came with their coffees, Julie couldn¡¯t help to smell her cup before she took a sip. ¡°I love this, this coffee is beautiful,¡± shemented.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind her, she talks to her coffees,¡± Kelsey jokes. But it¡¯s true, she does have a weird rtionship with her coffees, she loved them too much.


    ¡°I can understand that, I¡¯m the same with my food and my ingredients ¡­ I cook,¡± Nathan said to Julie.


    The conversation developed to discussing Nathan¡¯s passion for cooking and the restaurant chain that he was currently working on. His family encouraged him to get a Bachelor degree in Business Management because they owned arge chain of meatpanies. He found a way to amodate both his family¡¯s wishes and his own by starting a restaurant chain. His family was wealthy enough to fund the whole thing.


    His first chain in Bhorma was a start, he was supervising the renovation and managing the start-up n when he met Kelsey. He chose Bhorma because his family owned a house there where he can stay rent-free for the amount of time needed to set up his business. Nathan was very passionate when he described his work and the vision he had for his business. Kelsey was listening up until she was no longer interested in the minute details and her gaze started to wander around the room.


    ¡°I was pretty swamped and exhausted with all the preparation, I still have to recruit staff in the next few months and train them in the kitchen especially ¡­ and when I took some time to unwind to the bookstore, that¡¯s when I met an angel ¡­ lurking around in the literature aisle,¡± he looked at Kelsey with a satisfied smile, she turned her attention back at him and kissed his lips. ¡°Anyways ¡­ there¡¯s nothing sexier than a girl who reads, right?¡± Nathan added.


    Julie was halfway swallowing her food when she heard that, and she almost choked on it. She was coughing, tears started to swell up in her eyes, and even snort wasing out of her nostrils. She pads on her chest tried to stop her coughing but couldn¡¯t. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Nathan tried to figure out how to help her. She shook her head.


    Kelsey was handing her a ss of water with a worried look on her face. She knew her best friend was choking because she never read a single book in her life, not even if her grades were depending on it. Kelsey was not one who could stay with a book and enjoyed the experience of reading. Julie can only imagine what Kelsey had said to make him believe otherwise.


    When the ordeal had passed, Julie took the water and drank it, she was nodding, ¡°Yes, I agree ¡­ Kelsey is a sexy angel, and a wonderful friend too,¡± she lifted her ss to toast on that. She had always yed along with whatever Kelsey¡¯s game was with guys, but to concur that she was an avid reader was something new.

 Chapter 5 First Impression

    ¡°Sooo??? What do you think about him?¡± Kelsey asked after they got back to the dorm.


    ¡°He¡¯s ¡­ nice,¡± it was the first thing that came to her mind. Too nice, she thought, for Kelsey. But she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say it, Nathan was very different than any of the guys Kelsey ever dated, and she knew them all. Nathan was a serious type, he had a calm and cool nature about him that didn¡¯t fit Kelsey¡¯s type of boyfriends. Kelsey¡¯s type was more like ¡­ Preston.


    ¡°He seemed to have big ns for the future and he¡¯s working for it too,¡± Julie said.


    Kelsey nodded, she didn¡¯t seem to care much about that. ¡°I just can¡¯t wait to get him back in the sack tonight ¡­ we¡¯re going clubbingter, you shoulde too,¡± Kelsey said. Julie hesitated, being the third wheel on Kelsey¡¯s dates was not her favorite thing to do. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to stay in and study?? It¡¯s only the first day of the semester, Jules,e on ¡­ you didn¡¯t get the chance to have a proper summer, a nice night out with me and Nathan will do you good,¡± she tried to convince her.


    Julie enjoys a night out once in a while, she likes the drinks but not so much the parties. She knew how to have fun just enough to not go overboard. It was a given when she¡¯s friends with Kelsey who almost always go overboard. Someone had to be responsible, and Julie was the one who stepped up to the te.


    She may have lost all control once, the night after what happened. She was a mess, but a fun mess nheless ¡¯cause she had a great time with Kelsey that night. It was partly the reason why Kelsey couldn¡¯t let go of the fact that she ditched her for the summer, Julie was a lot of fun to be with.


    ¡°Come on ¡­ it¡¯ll be better if youe along, Nathan will have someone to talk to about his business and stuff, you know how much I can tolerate clubbing conversations ¡­ not much, you¡¯d be a perfect talking buddy for him.¡± Kelsey never persuaded her toe along when she had dates, usually, her dates would keep her busy at clubs and she never needed a sidekick to smoothen things up.


    ¡°Alright ¡­ I guess I could use a couple of drinks, but I¡¯m going back early, I have an early ss in the morning,¡± she finally agreed.


    Kelsey made a face, ¡°Fine ¡­ I¡¯ll be going back to his ce anyways,e on let¡¯s find you something to wear!¡± she said and went straight to her closet because Julie didn¡¯t own a single outfit that was suitable for a night out.


    Kelsey always dresses to kill whenever she goes out clubbing, while Julie was too shy to show parts of her body even though her figure was pretty amazing. Kelsey never understood why she chose to hide all her curves under baggy clothes and oversized sweaters she loved so much.


    Every time they go out clubbing, Kelsey always puts on sexy clothes on her which Julie always tried to cover with a jacket, a scarf, or a cardigan she hid inside her purse and put them onter when Kelsey wasn¡¯t looking. Kelsey believed that if Julie was morefortable with her looks and showed more skin, she would¡¯ve got more dates or more guys would hit on her at the clubs. Instead, Julie was morefortable being her wing woman, covered her beautiful shape, and drank quietly behind the tables while Kelsey danced the night away on tables and bars.


    There were only two clubs in Gastonburry, both of which Kelsey was a regr there. She knew almost everybody, and almost everybody knew her.


    Whenever she goes out clubbing with Kelsey, she never had to pay for drinks because they were always pouring into their table and the guys who paid for them came with it. Usually, Kelsey would tell her which of the guys she actually liked and ask her to y along whenever she refuses a guy she didn¡¯t like.


    Most of the time they had to sneak out to go home without telling the guy, other times she had to go home by herself because Kelsey decided to go home with the guy she liked, or on some asions, they had to go back to their dorm together with a guy from the club which she always stayed outside until their ¡®date¡¯ was over.


    That night was a bit different because Nathan was there. Julie wondered if the poor guy had any idea that Kelsey was the party girl of Gastonburry. By the look of his annoyed face, she reckoned he was oblivious about it.


    He kept sending back the drinks that were sent to their table and gave the guy a look. They gave him an apologetic gesture, not realizing he was there with Kelsey. ¡°Don¡¯t be offended, maybe they thought you were here with me,¡± Julie told him. His face was a little less tense. ¡°Kelsey never brought a date here, this is something new,¡± she added. It was actually apliment to Nathan which he wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to.


    He looked over his shoulder and saw Kelsey was talking to a girlfriend by the bar with a drink in her hand. She had been gone for at least ten minutes to get drinks for them. ¡°That¡¯s a friend from campus,¡± Julie said.


    Nathan took a deep breath and took a sip on his beer, ¡°She sure has a lot of friends around here,¡± hemented.


    Julie nodded, ¡°She¡¯s quite popr.¡±


    Nathan raised his eyebrows as if to agree with her. ¡°What about you, Julie? Do you enjoy the nightlife as much as Kelsey does?¡±


    ¡°Not really, this isn¡¯t my scene ¡­ but Ie here asionally to let loose, I¡¯d prefer a quieter ce, but it¡¯s always a fun night when I¡¯m with Kelsey,¡± she said.


    Nathan nodded, ¡°It¡¯s not my scene either, but if she loves it, I think I can enjoy it too,¡± he smiled. It turned out, they were there for the same reason.


    Kelsey came back with their drinks and a wide smile on her face, ¡°Oh I love it here! Everyone¡¯s here too, Jules, they¡¯re going to The Denter, there¡¯s a rooftop party after midnight and it¡¯s Zachary Mason¡¯s birthday, so free flow for everyone!!¡± she held out her hand to get a high five.


    Julie responded to the high five and shook on it, ¡°I¡¯m going back early, remember? I have an early ss,¡± she reminded her.


    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot, but we can still go, right?¡± she looked at Nathan with hopeful eyes.


    The way he gazed at her was a look any girl would want to be looked at, he smiled and said, ¡°Of course we can, babe.¡±


    Kelsey was jumping up and down, she loved to go bar hopping, or party hopping for that matter. Something that Julie was often felt exhausted to follow, it was a good thing for her whenever Kelsey was dating someone, she didn¡¯t have to be the one to chaperone her.


    ¡°But, how are you going back to the dorm?¡± Nathan asked.


    ¡°Oh I¡¯ll just get a taxi, it¡¯s fine, I do it all the time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you back, it¡¯s okay, what time are you leaving?¡± Nathan offered.


    ¡°Oh no ¡­ please, I can go back on my own, really, you guys go ahead and go to The Den,¡± she refused.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll drive you, and then we can go to The Den, right, Kells?¡± Nathan insisted.


    ¡°Aw ¡­ that¡¯s so sweet of you babe, isn¡¯t he the sweetest?¡± Kelsey put her hands on both his cheeks and kissed him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna be a bother, I¡¯m okay, seriously,¡± Julie felt awkward.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Jules, I sometimes worry when you go by taxi in the middle of the night ¡­ I tell you what, I can go to The Den with Chloe and Justinter, and Nathan can drop you off at the dorm ande meet me at The Den afterward, how about that?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t youe with us and we¡¯ll go together after that?¡± Nathan wasn¡¯t keen on the idea.


    ¡°Chloe and Justin, they have an invitation, so I kinda have to enter with them, and then I can get you insideter,¡± she exined.


    ¡°See ¡­ you should go together, don¡¯t mind me, please,¡± Julie felt even more awkward after the tone Nathan gave Kelsey.


    ¡°I¡¯ll drop you off at the dorm, no worries, I insist ¡­ it¡¯s no problem ¡­ alright, then, I guess I¡¯ll meet you up at The Den afterward,¡± he finally agreed.


    Kelsey wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss, ¡°Thank you so much, you know she¡¯s my best girl, right? It¡¯s so hot that you¡¯re doing this for me ¡­ it definitely deserves a long hot rewardter,¡± she licked his lips all the way up to his nose.


    Julie looked away and pretended not to notice. The awkwardness reached its peak when it was finally time for her to go back. Almost the entire time they were there, Kelsey was busy mingling with her club friends as Nathan stood beside her with his drink, looking like he wasn¡¯t really enjoying himself. He had a stiff expression on his face even though he tried to get rid of it once in a while with a forced smile. Julie had to apologize to him for making him stray away from Kelsey on their date just to drop her off at the dorm.


    ¡°Please ¡­ I¡¯m the one who had to apologize, I insisted, I guess it¡¯s my upbringing ¡­ my parents would be disappointed at me if I ever let a girl go home by herself in the middle of the night,¡± he said when he opened the passenger seat door for her. ¡°Anyways, it¡¯s a school night, no student should be out clubbing at this time a day,¡± his irritated expression didn¡¯t escape her, but she knew it wasn¡¯t her that was causing it.


    Once he was behind the wheels, he was back in his friendly mood. Whatever was bothering him, wasn¡¯t bothering him anymore. He started a small talk asking her about her background and vice versa. In the short trip, they made to the dorm, she found out that he was only 25 years old, even though he seemed much more aplished for someone that age.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ve missed your birthday by a couple of months, right?¡± he asked as the conversation went.


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°Your name ¡­ Julie ¡­ I figured you were born in July?¡± he nced at her from the driving seat.


    She smiled, embarrassed for not figuring that out, ¡°Yeah ¡­ of course, no one has ever noticed that before, so ¡­ I kind of forgot about it too.¡±


    ¡°Did you girls celebrate at all?¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°Maybe next year, on my 21st birthday, I don¡¯t really celebrate birthdays but Kelsey insisted that I should, next year.¡±


    Nathan¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You¡¯re 20? Wow ¡­ and you¡¯re graduating this year?¡±


    ¡°Well ¡­ technically, I have to finish a couple more sses, and then I have to take a three-month internship and make aprehensive report on it, and then there¡¯s the presentation of what I¡¯ve learned from my internship, and then graduate,¡± she exined.


    Nathan was not new to the concept, after all, he went through a simr path not so long ago. He too graduated earlier than his ssmates and went straight to culinary school and graduated early from there too. ¡°Is Kelsey going to take the internship with you too?¡± he asked.


    She wasn¡¯t sure what Kelsey had told him when she paused to figure it out, ¡°Not at the same time, but she will take an internship too, at her dad¡¯spany, probably.¡±


    ¡°Where are you taking your internship?¡±


    Julie smiled, ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet, I have a fewpanies in mind, big corporations that my Professors rmended for me ¡­ but I¡¯m actually looking for a smallpany where I can learn more about everything ¡­ I still have time to decide.¡±


    Nathan nodded, ¡°That¡¯s true, you¡¯d learn more in a smallpany for starters than you¡¯ll ever learn in argepany.¡±


    Before they knew it, they were in front of the dorm building. ¡°Thanks for the ride, Nathan, I really appreciate it,¡± Julie said before getting out of the car.


    Nathan looked around the area and saw how quiet it was. He stepped out of the car, ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, I¡¯ll walk you up to your room,¡± he said.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to, really, it¡¯s fine ¡­¡± she wanted to convince him that it was a safe neighborhood but she wasn¡¯t convinced by that herself.


    ¡°I might as well go all the way since I¡¯m already here ¡­ not to scare you or anything, have you heard about the Co-ed killers and the crimes that happened around campus areas?¡± As if it couldn¡¯t get any more awkward than that. Julie wasn¡¯t going to debate on that, knowing that he was going to insist this time too.


    They walked up the stairs without saying a word. Even though they barely knew each other, he didn¡¯t give her a threatening vibe, she felt safe with him. She noticed he was looking around to study the area, the doors, the walls, the signs, he was an observer much like her. When they finally got to her door, he stepped back and waited for her to find her keys and opened the door.


    ¡°Thank you so much, I really don¡¯t know what else to say ¡­¡± she was being truthful.


    ¡°My pleasure, please lock your door ¡­ double lock it, Kelsey said she won¡¯t being back tonight,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes, I will ¡­ have a good time at The Den, I¡¯ll see you around,¡± she said as she was stepping into her room.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try!¡± he said with a smile as he walked further away.


    She closed the door behind her, and double-locked it as he suggested. She leaned her back on the door and realized her heart was pounding faster than normal. She took a deep breath, she had a wonderful time that night ¡­ with Nathan Sommers.

 Chapter 6 The Internship Thing

    Kelsey didn¡¯te back to the dorm for two days. She does that when she is with a boyfriend. She checked in with Julie every day just to let her know where she was. Usually, she¡¯d stay with the guy for days, fucked his brains out until she was bored fucking him and she¡¯de back to the dorm toin about how bored she was and then go back to the guy to fuck him some more.


    Julie was used to the routine, she was d she was a professional loner. She would drown herself in books andpletely lost track of time whenever Kelsey went on her voyage. She never felt lonely without her roommate, and when Kelsey¡¯s back, she would take a break from her reading to listen to her over-the-top sexcapade with the ¡®oh so boring boyfriend¡¯ just to see her gone again in a few days. Rarely there was a boyfriend that didn¡¯t bore her, those who can keep her satisfied in bed were the ones that can keep her the longest. And that seemed to be the case with Nathan.


    Kelsey blew out a cloud of smoke from her cigarette that she asionally had after sex. There was something pleasurable about the tobo smell in her mouth and the puff of thick smoke in and out of her lungs. Sheid on Nathan¡¯s bed naked, tangled in the white linen as she filled the room with a mist of Marlboro nicotine and tar while relishing the thought of how satisfied she was just a few minutes earlier.


    Nathan was an excellent lover, his lean and toned body was strong enough to pin her down and flip her over and under, but not too big that it was overwhelming her like the jocks that she usually dated. His touches were smooth and arousing her senses, his chef¡¯s hands were definitely not just good enough for the kitchen, it was good enough to keep her begging him to fondle her in every way he could.


    A faint smile curved on her lips, if only Nathan was not such a serious guy off the bed, he would¡¯ve made the perfect boyfriend that she might consider keeping for a long-term rtionship. She wondered if someone like Nathan would ever settle to be a ¡®fuck buddy¡¯ if she ever fell ill on courting him. But he was good enough for now, after all, she can smell the breakfast he was making for her right outside the door. And she had never dated anyone who could do that before.


    She put on his shirt that was lying around on the bedroom floor and got out of the room. His sweat pants were dangling just below his waist without a shirt, his V-shaped back looked even sexier as he was flipping breakfast on one pan and saut¨¦ing vegetables on the other. She came over to kiss him.


    ¡°Hmm ¡­ you¡¯ve been smoking,¡± hemented, it was not his favorite taste.


    ¡°Sorry ¡­ sometimes after an extraordinary orgasm, I like to have a few puffs,¡± Kelsey said in her defense.


    He looked over to her with piercing eyes, ¡°We can have a few more of those after breakfast,¡± he said with a suggestive tone. Kelsey bit her lower lip, she was already thinking about it even before she got off the bed.


    Nathan ted the bacon and eggs with the saut¨¦ed vegetables on the side, he added his special tartar sauce and a piece of sourdough to go with everything. ¡°Juice or milk?¡± he offered.


    ¡°Juice ¡­ no dairy, remember?¡± She was particr with her diet. ¡°And you can have the bacon,¡± she added.


    ¡°More for me,¡± he was more than happy to take them. They sat on the stool by the kitchen ind and started digging in. It was a very simple breakfast but there was something very special in the taste that she couldn¡¯t pinpoint what it was.


    ¡°Oh my God ¡­ this tastes so good,¡± she praised him. Nathan responded with a simple smile, he heard it thousands of times before.


    ¡°I was talking to Julie the other night ¡­ she mentioned about an internship at the end of the semester, have you figured out where you wanted to take your internship yet?¡± he started the conversation, hoping she hadn¡¯t already picked out apany yet.


    Kelsey rolled her eyes, ¡°Oh have I? I won¡¯t be taking the internship at least until next year, I still have two more semesters to catch up before I¡¯m eligible for that,¡± she exined.


    ¡°Oh ¡­¡± he sounded disappointed.


    ¡°Why? Why¡¯d you ask?¡± She was curious about his tone.


    ¡°I was thinking ¡­ since I¡¯m recruiting next month, maybe you can do the internship at my ce in Bhorma ¡­ I could use a clever head to help me out with the setup and you can learn a lot from the business point of view.¡±


    Kelsey¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°That sounds wonderful!! But I won¡¯t be taking any internship credit until next year ¡­ I¡¯m sure Julie would love to take the post if you¡¯d offer her,¡± she suggested.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Nathan seemed unsure, he was thinking he could spend more time with Kelsey if she had been the one to take the post. After seeing her real daily routines, and her night outs, it was not sitting well with him if he had to leave her for a long period of time.


    ¡°Julie is a straight-A student, have I mentioned that before? Companies would be lining up to take her as an intern, she¡¯ll probably get job offers before she graduates ¡­ she would be the best intern you¡¯ll ever have for yourpany, I can guarantee that¡± she told him with confidence.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she will,¡± his tone was unenthusiastic.


    He was confused by the impression he got from their first meeting. Kelsey was hot as hell, anyone can see that. She was probably the hottest girlfriend he had ever had. Finding her in a bookstore and talking about Charles Bukowski the way they did was what hooked him in the first ce. He had never met a girl who was as enthusiastic about the dead poet as he was.


    Their early interaction left an impression that he couldn¡¯t resist but to follow her all the way to Gastonburry, although it was a city that he could call home. He wanted to get to know her better, especially because sexually they were very muchpatible, he was hoping to bepatible in other things too.


    But after a few days that they spent in Gastonburry, things started to look further and further away from what he expected. Kelsey was too wild for his taste, she was a party girl who loved her booze and party friends. She didn¡¯t seem to enjoy college in any way whatsoever, she was careless about her future because she was too busy partying. And now he found out that she was behind in her credits and won¡¯t be able to take the spot at his restaurant which could be a great turning point for their rtionship.


    It wasn¡¯t much of a rtionship just yet, but it could be, and he was willing to try. Having a long-distance rtionship with a girl like Kelsey might as well mean that it was over before it even began.


    ¡°I guess I can ask her if she¡¯d like to intern for me,¡± he finally said.


    ¡°I think she will, and you won¡¯t regret it ¡­ anyways, I¡¯d probably take an internship at my dad¡¯spany and ask his Human Resource Department to lie on my report,¡± sheughed, ¡°And then I can spend three months in Bhorma lying naked with you instead,¡± she continued with a seductive smile and a wink.


    Nathan curved on a half-smile, as much as he liked the idea, he wasn¡¯t sure if he was looking for a girlfriend who would lie on her report to graduate from college.

 Chapter 7 Teaming Up With Jules

    Julie was deeply lost in the streets of Europe with Robert Langdon is one of those Dan Brown¡¯s thriller novels. Her face was covered by the hardback she had just bought the day before and was already halfway through the 600 plus pages story. Her coffee cup was half empty, her croissant half-eaten, her eyes nailed to the sheets.


    ¡°Julie?!¡± a voice called her name which she pretended to not hear, she was three pages away from the next chapter. The source of the voice didn¡¯t call on her again, instead, he took a seat in front of her in silence. Her eyebrows furrowed as she was finishing a few more paragraphs before she slid her book to one side and was startled at the sight of Nathan.


    ¡°Nathan?! I¡¯m sorry I was ¡­¡± she was lost for words.


    ¡°In the middle of a chapter? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m like that too ¡­¡± heughed softly, showing a row of perfect teeth between his perfectly shaped lips. ¡°Are you alone? Can I sit here?¡± he was direct.


    ¡°Sure ¡­ ¡± being an introvert, she didn¡¯t know what else to say after that.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in ss? I just dropped Kelsey off at campus and thought I will stop here for coffee,¡± he peeked at the coffee cup in front of Julie. ¡°Do you want another one? I think we should get another one.¡± Nathan was definitely an extrovert who was more thanfortable in his own skin. He had continuously spoken four sentences in a row without needing a reply.


    Julie raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°Okay,¡± with a smile.


    ¡°Just the girl I need to talk to, sorry to bother your reading, is it a good time?¡± he asked as he settled in his seat.


    She needed a break from all the running around with a police detective, a conversation with a new friend was a good one. ¡°No ¡­ no ¡­ I can finish itter, what¡¯s up? Anything I can help you with?¡±


    ¡°Actually, there is ¡­ you know about my business in Bhorma, right? I was thinking if you¡¯d be interested in taking your internship at my restaurant, I offered Kelsey but she said she won¡¯t be able to take an internship ¡¯til next year,¡± he was eager to get a favorable response.


    ¡°What would the job description look like for an intern?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I was thinking, it¡¯ll be good for you toe up with ideas for mypany and the chain I¡¯m building ¡­ maybe we can sit down and work on a map so you have an idea of what I¡¯m working on and the vision that I¡¯m trying to achieve,¡± he was down for business.


    Julie was intrigued, it was the kind of learning experience she was looking for. ¡°Alright, my internship will be for three months starting December, I¡¯m going to put in my application for the campus to go over it and get approval, so I¡¯ll need a letter from yourpany to state that I will be doing an internship there.¡± She deliberately chose to start in December because she didn¡¯t really want to spend the winter holidays with her family. That way, she can finish even earlier and start working as soon as possible.


    ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ll do it?¡± Nathan was hopeful.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not? If I can put in my ideas in a new business and help you get everything rolling, that would make my report moreprehensive, and I¡¯ll be learning a lot more than if I join an already sessful establishment, in which I would probably fill in a post as an assistant or administration job, that would suck for me,¡± she said truthfully.


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome, December sounds perfect, I will be down on staff on holidays, and you can even help me recruit interns ¡­ well we should start mapping when you have time,¡± Nathan was fired up with the idea.


    Julie picked up her backpack and reached inside it, she took out a pen and a notepad, ¡°How about now? I have time now, I¡¯ll just take notes on the information I need from you and then I¡¯ll map it out on myptopter and we¡¯ll see from there,¡± she was excited.


    They ended up sitting there until lunch and another cup of coffee to discuss the basics of Nathan¡¯s business. He was thrilled to have her in his team, it was obvious that she would make a great addition to hispany, or even a partner because she thinks like one. Even from the first time they sat down, she was absorbing all the information and processed it in that brilliant mind of hers more than anyone he had ever encountered.


    Nathan, on the other hand, had been working on building a whole chain of restaurants on his own. The task was a lot to carry for someone as young as he was and inexperienced. Even though he had some help from his parents who had their own sessful chain of meatpanies, he was determined to be independent and took as minimum handouts as possible. He was more than capable, it was evident that he had the knack to be a diligent businessman.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe how efficient that was,¡± Nathan¡¯s eyes were bright as sunshine, he knew right then Julie was the person he needed. In just one seating, they managed to map out the recruitment system, some purchasing system and already brainstorming about theputer system that thepany needed to integrate all its departments and eventually all their future chains together. Julie had a satisfied smile on her face, she too had just found an employer that she felt like she can work with for the long run.


    Nathan couldn¡¯t shut up about it when he picked up Kelseyter that day. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful news, babe, now you can leave all that tedious work to Julie and spend more time with me,¡± she nipped his neck.


    His eyes were still bright with ideas, he leaned over to her and kissed her mouth, ¡°You¡¯re underestimating my skills babe, I can do both when I need to.¡± And that was just the kind ofment that sends Kelsey tingling with desires.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 8 Preston

    Whenever she¡¯s not in ss, twice or three times a week at various coffee shops they would meet to discuss work while Kelsey attended her sses. They made tremendous progress just by brainstorming, making phone calls, and working on Julie¡¯sptop. Sometimes Kelsey skipped ss to join them, to see what the work was like but then she was bored after a few hours and decided that she was better off in ss.


    Julie went to the counter to order some coffee and snacks when Preston approached her. ¡°Hey, I thought I¡¯d find you here,¡± he greeted her. He was standing really close to her, their arms rubbed with each other and it made her ufortable.


    ¡°Hey Preston,¡± she replied in a monotone.


    ¡°My birthday ising up, I wanted to invite you,¡± he said.


    Julie shrugged, ¡°Oh I don¡¯t think I cane, but thanks for inviting me, I¡¯ll let Kelsey know.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Jules, this has been going on for too long already,¡± Preston turned to look at her in a somber expression.


    Julie nced at Preston. He looked like he was just woken up, his eyes were still droopy. He tossed his hair to one side with a brush of his fingers. His nails were painted, he was still wearing the ring she gave him along with his other rings. His dark blue eyes, wide and narrow, one look at them made the hairs on her arms stand up. She couldn¡¯t rest her sight at his face for longer than two seconds, but he stared her down so she would look at him when they speak.


    ¡°I really want you toe,¡± he knew she had been avoiding him since that night. ¡°I miss you.¡± Those words made her stomach turn.


    They were best friends, a little different than what she had with Kelsey, romantic friendship is the term used for it. But there were boundaries, which they stepped over one night and changed everything, at least for her.


    She inhaled deeply, ¡°I don¡¯t know ¡­ Preston, you know I¡¯m not big with parties, I mean, Kelsey¡¯s gonna be there I¡¯m sure,¡± she wasn¡¯t going to let his words get to her.


    ¡°Yeah she is, but I want you to be there too ¡­ that¡¯s why I¡¯m here, I¡¯m begging you ¡­ please ¡­ pretty please ¡­¡± he pressed his palms together and leaned his face closer to her.


    She hesitated, ¡°Why would you want me there anyway? You¡¯ll probably be wasted by nine with all your friends.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re my friend ¡­ right? Are we still friends? You know I hated what happened as much as you do ¡­ and I¡¯ve been ¡­¡± he hadn¡¯t finished his sentences when Julie stopped him with her palm on his chest.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna talk about it, please,¡± she looked away.


    They never really talked about it, Julie just decided that she needed to avoid him forever while he sometimes followed her around like a puppy wanting to y.


    Preston exhaled in frustration, ¡°Will youe, though? It¡¯s my 21st birthday,¡± he sounded desperate.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    She looked down and thought for a moment, ¡°Maybe,¡± she said.


    There was an instant glow on Preston¡¯s face, ¡°That¡¯s good enough for me,¡± he stole a kiss on her cheek that made her pull back. He smiled widely, ¡°I¡¯ll see you then,¡± and he left.


    Her heart was beating fast, she closed her eyes to steady her breathing. After all that time, Preston still managed to do that to her. She wished she could find someone to fall in love with and what happened between her and Preston wouldn¡¯t matter at all. If only there was someone that could distract her from Preston, it would¡¯ve been easier to keep their friendship alive. But that wasn¡¯t the case, it was hard to be friends with him before, and it¡¯s even harder after. She picked up the tray with two hot caffette cups on it and walked back to her table.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± Nathan asked, it didn¡¯t go unnoticed how distraught she was after that encounter.


    ¡°Oh ¡­ that¡¯s Preston,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Preston? The one who¡¯s having a birthday this weekend?¡±. Julie nodded as she sipped her coffee. ¡°Kelsey mentioned it this morning, I guess we¡¯ll be there discussing our projects while people vomit around us,¡± he joked.


    Julieughed, ¡°I don¡¯t know ¡­ I don¡¯t really wanna go.¡±


    Nathan looked disappointed, ¡°Why not? I guess we can hang out once everyone¡¯s wasted, just bring yourptop, I¡¯m sure we can find a quieter ce to do some work.¡± It didn¡¯t seem to bother him, the fact that he too wasn¡¯t much of a party-goer, but he was willing to be there for Kelsey. Suddenly, the idea of bringing work to Preston¡¯s party sounded like a win-win solution to the problem.


    ¡°I guess we can try and do that,¡± Julie said with a softugh, notpletely convinced it was doable.


    Nathan told Kelseyter that day about Julieing to the party, it surprised her. ¡°Really? She told you she¡¯sing?¡±


    ¡°Yeah ¡­ well, she seemed reluctant at first, what¡¯s with her and that Preston guy anyway? She was weirded out right after he left ¡­ distant, I suppose,¡± Nathan wondered.


    ¡°Preston¡¯s a pretty delicate spot for her ¡­ she used to have a big crush on him ever since we started college, they have this weird friendship, she¡¯s pretty tight shut when ites to sharing intimate details, you know?¡±


    She was exactly the opposite of Kelsey where she shares too many details about her love life or sex life for that matter. ¡°We used to be pretty close, the three of us, but then something happened before summer, and she just shut him down, didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with him anymore,¡± Kelsey continued.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Nathan was curious.


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t tell me at first, I had to get it out of Preston ¡­ that slut  ¡­¡± Kelsey sounded pissed. ¡°They were close, I mean like really close, I guess I can rte ¡¯cause we¡¯ve been best friends since we were small, she has this warm personality that made it easy to be close to her ¡­ most people wouldn¡¯t catch that from the first get-go, but ¡­ anyway ¡­ Preston had a girlfriend, and they often get into fights and Julie was there ¡­¡± The problem started toe to form.


    ¡°He always talked about it with Julie because she listens to everything, I mean half of the shit I told her ¡­ some people would just walk out on me, but Julie ¡­ I guess Preston felt the same about her too, so one night, Preston had a fight with his girlfriend, he was drunk and alone, he came to our dorm, I wasn¡¯t there ¡­ and ¡­¡± Nathan raised his eyebrows, she didn¡¯t have to exin any further.


    Kelsey took a deep breath, she seemed uneasy telling Nathan, ¡°You have to promise me that you will never ever talk to her about this, she¡¯d kill me for telling this to anyone.¡± He promised. ¡°Julie was a virgin ¡­ and Preston was an idiot, they woke up in the morning and realized what they did the night before, obviously Preston was cheating on his girlfriend with Julie and that was something she would never forgive herself for, all hell broke loose,¡± she finished the story.


    Nathan grimaced, ¡°God, that¡¯s horrible.¡± He was genuinely empathetic to what happened, Julie was bing his friend too, and he understood what Kelsey said about how easy it was to be close to her.


    ¡°Yeah, and Julie is savage, you know, she can open up to you and draw you in like you can be best friends with her ¡¯til death do you part, and then she can cut you off just like that like you don¡¯t mean anything to her ¡­ I guess I¡¯m lucky, I¡¯ve seen how she cut off ties like it was nothing ¡­ and Preston being thetest victim,¡± she told him.


    ¡°Preston said that it was the biggest mistake in his life, not because he didn¡¯t want to sleep with her in the first ce, but he never wanted to lose her as a friend ¡­ I think Preston is hooked on Julie like a lovesick puppy, if you ask me, they¡¯re really good together as friends, it¡¯s like they have the need to be with each other, and that one night kind of made things weird.¡±

 Chapter 9 The Rockstar

    The party was at his house. Preston¡¯s family also owned a house in Gastonburry, but he chose to live in the dorm because he didn¡¯t get along with his dad. It was a better choice for his love life too, it would¡¯ve been disastrous to bring his dates home and meet his parents in the morning.


    Kelsey was right, Preston was a slut, he sleeps around with everybody. He had the looks, he got the reputation, and he was a singer in his band which was gradually making a name for itself. Even though he took the Business Major, his musical talent was pulling him to another direction.


    His girlfriend for the past couple of years was an on-and-off rtionship because he couldn¡¯t keep his pants on. It left Julie feeling like an idiot for letting him in her room that night and fell for the same trick that he probably used with every girl he slept with. Or maybe he didn¡¯t need a trick at all, because most girls would open their door to him just because he was Preston Hicks.


    She thought their friendship was real, that she knew him more than just what¡¯s on the surface. When he came to her that night, with desperation on his face, saying sweet words to her, telling her how special she was, how different it was with her, she fell for it.


    It was her first. She thought he was the perfect realization of the fantasy she always had about her first. The rockstar lover she always dreamed of. She always hear people tell her how smart she was, but the morning after that night, she never felt so stupid before in her life. Preston was exactly who he was on the surface, just a foolish boy who thinks he can sleep with anyone he wanted, and with her consent, he did exactly that.


    His parents were cool enough to let him use the house for the party, they left just before the first guest arrived. When Julie got there, it was already looking like a frat house filled with drunken college students. Booze was lying around, music ring, half-naked people swarmed in the pool.


    Julie fell behind Kelsey and Nathan who immediately blended in the crowds. She wasfortable snacking on the food that was served on a long table in the backyard. She took a beer from the icebox at the end of that table and drank it. She scanned the whole area and felt a tiny bit of regret for agreeing toe. Nathan and Kelsey seemed to have settled right from the beginning, and she wasn¡¯t really in a mood for a party, let alone Preston Hicks party.


    Preston¡¯s voice can be heard from the front yard, he was already up and singing on the small stage they set up by the swimming pool. He was in his usual party attire, something funky, something colorful, something no one would wear and he wore it like he was born wearing them. His long messy waves were partly tied on top, and by the sound of his voice, he¡¯s had more than a few drinks himself. He sounds better after a few drinks.


    Girls were sitting around in the pool right under the stage and he was entertaining them with his swag and sexy charms. Julie took a deep breath, it was exactly why she didn¡¯t want toe in the first ce. Even though he wasn¡¯t a famous singer yet, he already had groupies flocking around him whenever he performs. They loved him, and he craved for their attention.


    ¡°Wow ¡­ he sounds really good,¡± Nathanmented. They stood in a row by the door to the backyard as they watched the performance. Kelsey bumped her elbow to Julie and gave her a wink. Julie shrugged and shied away, she was looking for an excuse to leave the premises. She didn¡¯t want Preston to see her nor the other way around.


    ¡°Okay ¡­ hold up ¡­ hold up ¡­¡± Preston addressed his audience who were screaming and reaching for his pants. ¡°I have one more song before I go off the stage,¡± he said. The girls were sighing in disappointment. ¡°The birthday boy needs some drinks, girls ¡­ and maybe I¡¯ll join you in for a little swimter,¡± he told them followed by giggles and flirtyments from the girls.


    Julie rolled her eyes, she was about to walk away to the long table for some more beer. ¡°I was waiting for you toe,¡± Preston said on the microphone. The ce fell silent, everyone was looking for the person he was talking to. ¡°I have a song that I¡¯ve practiced especially for today ¡­ it¡¯s a special song because I know a special someone who loves this song very much,¡± he continued.


    Kelsey held Julie¡¯s hand to stop her from walking away, they both knew Preston was talking about her. ¡°It¡¯s not an easy song to sing, but I¡¯ll try ¡­ because I want to say I¡¯m sorry, and I mean it from the bottom of my heart,¡± he held his hand in a fist and tapped it on his chest.


    When Julie turned to look, their eyes met for a brief second and Julie looked away. She didn¡¯t want people to know he was talking about her. The girls were shouting what a romantic gesture it was, their shrills made Julie wince. ¡°You know who you are and I hope you ept my sincerest apology, and I hope I do Mr. Steven Tyler justice by trying out this song,¡± Preston cued his band to start.


    Julie was back to where she stood and looked at the stage. Preston never took his eyes off her. Kelsey had her arm around Nathan¡¯s waist and smiled, it was a sweet moment for her bestie, she was happy for her.


    Nathan was observing, he can see why those girls were drooling over a guy like Preston. He had a charm that could swoon a girl with just a wink of his eye, and his sex appeal was undeniable. But Julie was a different kind of girl, Nathan thought, and to see the twinkle in her eyes as she watched his performance, and how she hid a smile every time Preston looked at her, Nathan couldn¡¯t help but feel a little uneasy.


    I love to look into your big brown eyes ¡­ they talk to me and seem to hypnotize ¡­ you say the things nobody dares to say ¡­ and I¡¯m not about to let you fly away ¡­


    The song started and Julie¡¯s heart was softened in an instant. It was her favorite Aerosmith song that Preston obviously remembered. Preston knew all the words to all her favorite songs. She thought she had her feelings under control, she was about to move on with life and forget about Preston. But she wasn¡¯t very sure about it after that.


    After the performance, Julie curved a smile on her face just to let Preston know she appreciated the gesture. She told Kelsey she was going to get another beer when she really wanted to avoid meeting the birthday boy. Nathan watched her as she walked away and saw Preston run after her.


    He took her hand and pulled her along. ¡°Preston ¡­ I was going to get a beer.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get itter,¡± he was smiling wildly, sweats were dripping on his face, his eyes pierced through her.


    She couldn¡¯t refuse that wicked charm and followed his lead. He held her hand tight and lead her into the house, through a narrow corridor towards a flight of stairs, they went up to the second floor where it was quiet and they were alone.


    Preston was breathing heavily from climbing the stairs, he leaned against a door with Julie¡¯s hand still clutched in his. His face beamed, ¡°What do you think of the performance?¡±


    Julie lifted her shoulders, ¡°It was okay,¡± she was unimpressed.


    ¡°What? Really? Just ¡®okay¡¯? That¡¯s pretty stingy,¡± he didn¡¯t want to believe her.


    ¡°Sorry ¡­ but I still think no one can do a ¡®Steven Tyler¡¯ like Steven Tyler,¡± she was an ultimate fan, she took her hand away from his grip.


    He studied her face for a brief moment, ¡°Fair enough, I¡¯ll do a better one next time.¡± He was d she was even there and talking to him instead of running away as she¡¯d done for the past few months.


    Julie tucked her hands inside her pockets and looked around, she didn¡¯t feelfortable being alone with him, not yet. ¡°Jules,¡± he called her. She turned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the real apology came. She looked down at her feet not knowing what to reply. ¡°I just want things to be like it was before.¡± She was still quiet. ¡°Do you think you can ever forgive me?¡± He was stillzily leaning on the door, just the way he stared at her could melt her.


    ¡°I just want to go back to the party, Preston, can I just go now?¡± She didn¡¯t want to answer his questions.


    ¡°You want me to let you go?¡± He has a way of saying things that made her question her own rity. As hard as it was, she nodded.


    ¡°Okay ¡­ but one second,¡± he stuck out his index finger. He went into the door he had been leaning on, it was his bedroom. He took off his clothes and pants as she was standing in front of the door. He was butt naked in less than a minute and rummaged through piles of clothes that were scattered around his room.


    ¡°Preston?!¡± she protested.


    He took a piece here and there and put them on. ¡°Ohe on Jules, it¡¯s not like you¡¯ve never seen me naked before,¡± he teased her. She was covering her eyes, couldn¡¯t believe what Preston had just done. ¡°All done!¡± he said, and he was already looking perfect again in his funky style which he put together from hisundry pile.


    ¡°That¡¯s not funny,¡± sheined. It was too soon to joke about it.


    ¡°Sorry, I just wanted to have a quick change ¡­e on, let¡¯s get you that beer,¡± he was going for her hand again but she budged.


    The hardest thing about being friends with Preston was how frisky he was with her. He loves the physical contact even though it wasn¡¯t sexual, he likes to lean his arm over her shoulders, or looped it around her waist, he held her hand when they walked side by side and he was like that only with her. Julie was the only girl he had a tonic rtionship with that he seemed to can¡¯t stay away from. And she wasn¡¯t ready for him to throw himself on her again like nothing happened, not when she wasn¡¯t even sure how she felt about him.


    He grabbed two beers and handed her one. ¡°What have you been doingtely anyway?¡± he wanted to catch up. She told him about the internship program she was working on, he nodded along.


    His grades were plummeting fast, Julie used to help him out with his studies buttely, he was busy with his singing career prospect that he almost left school entirely. ¡°Who is that guy with Kelsey? Is it a new boyfriend?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s Nathan, my future employer ¡­ I¡¯ll be working with him in Bhorma starting December,¡± she told him.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Really?¡± he raised his eyebrows and curved his lips like it was hard to believe.


    ¡°Yeah, why?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing, I just caught him looking at me a few times, it was weird,¡± hemented.


    ¡°Happy birthday, by the way,¡± Julie almost forgot to say it.


    A naughty smirk formed on his face, ¡°Thanks, do I get a birthday kiss?¡± his lips were chasing hers.


    She pushed him away, ¡°Jeez ¡­ no! You¡¯re such a tease.¡± Theyughed about it.


    ¡°Does this mean you forgive me?¡± he blinked his longshes rapidly.


    Julie inhaled deeply, while he was on the topic, she thought to tell him straight. ¡°Promise me it won¡¯t ever happen again ¡­ ¡¯cause I¡¯ve promised myself that, and I need you to promise me that,¡± she looked him straight in the eyes.


    His lips were moving but no words came out, his eyes gave away his reluctance, she challenged him with a look.


    He offered a pinky, ¡°Pinky promise?¡±


    She pped his hand, ¡°I¡¯m serious, Preston!¡±


    ¡°Ouch! Alright, I promise ¡­ if that¡¯s what it takes, I swear with my pinky it will never happen again!¡± he offered his pinky again.


    It was better than nothing, it was impossible to get him to be serious so she took his pinky and let out a breath of relief.


    ¡°Thanks, Jules, I love you, you know that right?¡± he told her. She nodded loosely like it didn¡¯t mean what it really meant. ¡°By the way ¡­ I broke up with Naomi,¡± he stared at her to see her reaction.


    Before she could say anything, there were a couple of guys that came and swept him away and threw him in the pool, and then he was running around with wet girls chasing after him, fooling around by the water. He will probably sleep with one of them by the end of the day, if not two of them. And that was how it was with Preston, her boy friend.

 Chapter 10 Ardor

    ¡®I broke up with Naomi¡¯ the girl who he cheated on with her. So? She thought. It couldn¡¯t be undone, she slept with someone else¡¯s boyfriend. Something she never thought would happen. Especially not when herst boyfriend cheated on her because she wasn¡¯t sure about giving up her virginity to him.


    She shrugged it off. She remembered how he was when she opened her dorm room that night. He was drunk, he said he couldn¡¯t sleep, he was smelling like booze with a tint of Hugo Boss, he had an unopened bottle of Vodka in his hand.


    Preston always smelled nice, even under a stale cigarette odor. He took his jacket off, leaving his thin worn-out The Doors T-shirt hanging loose above his jeans. He threw himself on the floor next to her, their backs leaned on the bed. He opened the bottle with his teeth and they started drinking.


    He went on about the thousands of fights he had with Naomi, that night being the peak of all the shit that¡¯s been umted throughout their flimsy rtionship and he hung his head on Julie¡¯s shoulder. He took her hand as they talked, he yed with her fingers. ¡°I wish every girl I dated could be more like you,¡± he told her. ¡°They talk shit all the time and got angry when I wasn¡¯t interested ¡­ they want to fuck and then nag about their girlfriends,¡± he bbed about it. ¡°They said I spend too much time with you, it¡¯s not healthy,¡± he went on.


    ¡°Really? She said that?¡± Julie didn¡¯t realize that his girlfriend was jealous of her.


    He nodded, ¡°They all did ¡­ well I told them that you never nag, and you don¡¯t talk shit about Kelsey borrowing your blouse or whatever shit they always made a big deal of.¡± Theyughed. ¡°Oh my God ¡­ I can¡¯t believe Stacy said this about me to Amanda ¡­ and Amanda told it to Megan when they met in the club and now everybody thinks I¡¯m wearing fake eyshes ¡­¡± Preston made a mocking gesture pretending to be his girlfriend and theyughed about it.


    It¡¯s what they do, theyughed about his girlfriends and he loved her for it. She was nothing like them, she was like a guy friend who listened and made fun of his silliness and told him what a jerk he was but still hanging out with him. But she was a girl, and he was a slut, it wasn¡¯t a good mixture particrly that night.


    ¡°Is it though? Is it unhealthy?¡± His drunken eyes were searching her. She tilted her shoulders and sucked on the bottle. ¡°I think you¡¯re the best thing that ever happened to my fucked up self,¡± he said.


    She fell silent, his words felt real and honest, her stomach was turning. That¡¯s when he grabbed her face and slipped his tongue inside her mouth. She went over it a thousand times and wondered if she hadn¡¯t been drinking that night, she might never have let that happen.


    She cringed in her seat, covered her eyes with her hands. ¡°Hey ¡­ you okay?¡± Nathan¡¯s voice broke her out of her daydream.


    She gathered her thoughts and smiled, just what she needed, someone to pull her back to reality. ¡°Hey, yeah, I was just a little tired,¡± she lied.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Nathan took a seat next to her and saw she was drinking ck coffee that morning. ¡°A little too much to drinkst night?¡± he assumed.


    She looked like she was having a hangover but she didn¡¯t. Her night was a bit sleepless after Preston. As much as she didn¡¯t want to think about it, what happened between them was a big deal to her. ¡°Yeah, I kinda need something strong this morning, do you want to order first?¡± she offered as she cranked up herptop to start her day with the boss.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll have the same, do you want something else?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll have another one, too.¡±


    ¡°Okay, wait here,¡± he said and stood up to order at the counter.


    When he came back, it was all business. His presence was directing her to a path of work, immediately her mind was sharp and her vision was clear. He was going to be a great leader, and a good employer, she thought. It was a favorable trait for both of them.


    ¡°Ardor¡± was the name he chose for his restaurant. Ardor means ¡®passion¡¯ and ¡®enthusiasm¡¯ which was suitable for his persona. Nathan was mature for his age, he knew exactly what he was doing and what he wanted. The more they interact, the more she knows the professional side of him.


    Her phone rang. It was Preston. He had been texting her since morning to ask where she was, but she didn¡¯t reply. She turned it off, she needed to concentrate on her project because Nathan was leaving the next weekend. And they won¡¯t be seeing each other again until December.


    Preston¡¯s face on her phone didn¡¯t escape him. When he saw her reject the call and turn off her phone, he was right about her, she was not like any other girl that was swooning over the rockstar.

 Chapter 11 Julie

    The first time he was introduced to Julie, the most obvious thing about her was her quietness. People would assume she was shy. She doesn¡¯t talk much unless it was something that interested her. The next obvious thing was her intellect, she can talk about anything that nourishes her brilliant mind. She knows her music, she knows her books, she knows her artists like they were her friends.


    Sheughs at things most people find offensive, sheughs at herself, herugh was contagious. She knows how to be focused, she knows when to let loose. She listens like you are the most important person in the room. She¡¯ll tell you the nicest things about yourself and the worst things without judging you. By this time, you¡¯ll see her as your best friend. And then he sees it, the way she threw her head back when sheughs, the creases in the corners of her eyes, her smartebacks, the way she tucked her hair behind her ears. She was pretty. Pretty amazing.


    She was submitting her application form for the internship program to the admission office. The clerk was a student who did part-time jobs at the campus. She had seen him frequently during her summer sses, and he had an eye on her for months.


    Out of nowhere, Preston came and buried his face in the curve of her neck. He breathed her in, ¡°You smell nice, I¡¯ve been looking for you since morning,¡± he said and gave a sharp look at the awkward clerk whose heart was abruptly broken.


    ¡°Preston! What the hell?¡± she nudged him. He wasughing hard. Nathan was looking at their unconventional friendship and raised an eyebrow. ¡°God! Sometimes I think you¡¯re the reason why I don¡¯t ever get dates in this ce,¡± sheined.


    ¡°Of course ¡­ everybody knows you¡¯re my girlfriend ¡­ I told them that,¡± he said.


    ¡°You did not tell people that??¡± Julie believed that he would do something like that. Preston justughed at it childishly.


    ¡°Are you seriously going to take that internship thing this December?¡± Preston asked.


    ¡°Yeah, everything is set ¡­ by the way, this is Nathan, you¡¯ve met at the party yesterday, right?¡±


    Preston offered him a handshake. ¡°Hey, yeah, we met yesterday, how¡¯s it going?¡± he greeted Nathan with his usual swag.


    Nathan gave him a nod as he shook his hand. Their total opposite personality quickly shed into an ufortable silence.


    ¡°So what are you doing after this?¡± Preston¡¯s attention was back to Julie.


    ¡°I¡¯m done for today ¡­ Kelsey¡¯s meeting us here in a minute, my ss is not until tomorrow,¡± she said.


    ¡°Great! So we can go, I have some new music I want you to listen to,¡± Preston was pulling her hand.


    ¡°Hey, guys! Gosh, I¡¯m d that ss was over, I was about to snooze when he was handing out more papers to summarize, he has already given us a book report for the end of the week,¡± Kelsey arrived in her super tight jeans and a crop top. She dangled in Nathan¡¯s arm to give him a kiss.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± Nathan swooped her in his arm.


    ¡°So are we going to lunch now?¡± Kelsey looked at everyone.


    Nathan was looking at Julie who was torn between the options. ¡°You wanna grab some lunch with us?¡± he asked Julie.


    She hesitated, ¡°No, you guys go ahead, I¡¯m not that hungry,¡± she finally said.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Nathan¡¯s question left everyone looking at her.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just grab some lunchter,e on, we¡¯ll leave the two lovebirds alone,¡± Preston called it, looping his arm around Julie¡¯s shoulders.


    Kelsey was smiling widely, ¡°Why don¡¯t we just go back to your ce and grab some lunchter too ¡­ or you can fix me up a quicky,¡± she insinuated.


    They parted ways in the lobby. Kelsey was all around him, she looked so hot that day and turned everyone¡¯s head as they walked up to his car. They¡¯ve agreed to go back to his ce instead of going with their initial n to have lunch with Julie. He was going to have sex with his super hot girlfriend, but he couldn¡¯t fight the urge to turn around to take onest look at Julie before they leave.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± Kelsey said, noticing his concern. ¡°I told you, they have a weird friendship ¡­ they¡¯re doomed to be together, I think,¡± she said lightly with a slightugh. He brushed it off and left with Kelsey, but it weighed in his mind for a good part of the day.


    Preston had been wanting to y his new tunes to Julie ever since he got back from his summer vacation. He had been writing songs throughout the summer, it was mostly based on his breakup from Naomi and the thing that happened between him and Julie. He took her back to his dorm room which looked more like a pigsty. There were clothes all over the floor, empty packages from a takeout, books, papers, used condoms, unused condoms.


    ¡°You can die from this mess,¡± Juliemented.


    He closed the door and took off his shirt, took his guitar, and sat on an armchair in the corner, which was also stacked with stuff.


    ¡°Make yourself at home mydy,¡± he said yfully. She sat on one of the beds that were buried under piles of sheets and clothes. He strummed his guitar and started to sing. She noticed a small tattoo in the sunken of his chest, it was new, it was calligraphy of the letter ¡°J¡±. She pretended not to notice.


    Preston¡¯s raspy voice was mesmerizing, he could sing the dictionary and it would¡¯ve sounded beautiful. He could sing rock to bad to pop to jazz and it would sound like he owned every bit of it. His hair fell over his eyes as he was focusing on his fingers on the guitar, he was lost in his music and it showed on his face. He would nce at her once in a while from behind his messy hair, he would take her into the world he was lost in.


    He always made her feel like she was the only girl in the world that mattered to him whenever they were alone. They have a bond that she couldn¡¯t exin, a push and pull that was impossible to break. She took out her phone and recorded his singing from start to finish along with his smoldering gaze at her. She relished it like she always did whenever he sang to her, she was his number one fan when ites to his singing and she was his muse.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked when he was finished.


    ¡°Have you sent the demo like I told you to?¡±


    ¡°Do you think it was good?¡± he was unsure of himself.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s fantastic.¡± His face was beaming, her opinion mattered to him most. ¡°But don¡¯t take my word for it, I¡¯m gonna upload this on your youtube and Instagram, and put on a bunch of hashtags and see how other people like it,¡± she was quick with her fingers on her phone.


    He came over to her and looked at what she was doing on her phone. His lips grazed on her shoulder and it tickled her, he looked at her face as she was dodging his lips, he wanted her for himself.


    The dorm room door opened and Reggie came in, it was his roommate. He halted when he saw them on the bed, Preston was shirtless, his lips on her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know you guys were here,¡± he thought he was walking in on them.


    ¡°Hey, Reggie, he was just showing me his new songs, we should take a couple more of your new songs and upload it, and then we¡¯ll have lunch, I¡¯m starting to feel hungry,¡± Julie said to Preston.


    ¡°Okay, whatever you say, mydy,¡± he said and took a big bite on her shoulder.


    She pped his arm, ¡°Preston! Stop that!¡± but sheughed about it.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Reggie felt clumsy, he took something from his drawer and left in a hurry, he didn¡¯t want to interrupt them.


    She pointed her camera to Preston who was ready to y another one of his songs. ¡°Do something to the camera, Preston, give the girls a wink or something, drive them crazy,¡± she reeled him.


    He made a V sign with his fingers and rolled out his tongue between them. ¡°Oh God, you¡¯re disgusting!¡± Julie shouted andughed. He winked his eyes and kept doing the tongue thing and finally made a sucking noise. Julie rolled on the bed andughed, ¡°That was gross!! I¡¯m not putting that up on my Instagram, you¡¯re such a slut!!¡±


    ¡°You started it! Okay, I¡¯m ready, are you ready?¡± he said and ced his guitar on hisp.


    Julie put up her camera again and was ready to record, ¡°Are you ready? It¡¯s gonna go viral,¡± she said.


    ¡°I hope so,¡± Preston replied and started strumming his guitar again.

 Chapter 12 Let鈥檚 Find You A Boyfriend

    Kelsey came backter that day looking exhausted. She threw her arms up and fell on her bed like a log. She let out a long sigh of relief.


    Julie was on herptop editing Preston¡¯s videos, she nced at her suspiciously, ¡°Long day?¡± She probably had spent the whole afternoon sexing up with Nathan, the sigh didn¡¯t sound like a good one.


    Kelsey turned her headzily, ¡°Hhmm ¡­ he didn¡¯t bring his A game today, and I was wearing my go to jeans and lucky thong ¡­ I guess it¡¯s not so lucky anymore.¡±


    Julie chuckled, ¡°Why? What happened?¡±


    Kelsey rolled on her stomach, ¡°I don¡¯t know, something was weighing on his mind, I think it¡¯s probably work, he¡¯s nervous for next week ¡­ the recruitment and everything ¡­ it¡¯s starting to feel like we¡¯re married.¡±


    Julie nodded, ¡°Yeah he does have a lot on his te, he¡¯ll be meeting up with all the vendors and the marketing team next week, it¡¯s gonna be a lot of work.¡±


    Kelsey rolled her eyes, ¡°It seems like all he cared about is the restaurant now, I¡¯m missing all that spark, you know, it was exciting back in Bhorma.¡±


    ¡°That was summer, it¡¯s always exciting in summer,¡± Julie tried to make some sense.


    ¡°Exactly ¡­ I knew it wasn¡¯t a good idea to prolong summer hook ups,¡± sheined.


    ¡°What? I thought you hit it off just fine? Please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to dump him? ¡¯cause I just submitted my application this morning, it would be so awkward to stay at his ce for three months if you guys broke up,¡± Julie was panicking.


    Kelsey paused for a moment, ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that ¡­ he¡¯s a keeper, right?¡±


    Julie raised her eyebrows, ¡°Of course he¡¯s a keeper, he¡¯s the most responsible boyfriend you¡¯ve ever had, he¡¯s a future businessman, smart and mature, he¡¯s a total keeper,¡± sheplimented him.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you approve,¡± Kelsey was amused.


    She stared at her best friend who was so caught up in whatever she was working on in herptop. ¡°How are things with you and Preston?¡± she asked.


    Julie shrugged a shoulder, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Trying to get her to talk specifics is like trying to pry open a can without a can opener.


    ¡°You never talked about it, ever since that night ¡­¡± Kelsey studied Julie¡¯s face, it was t as an iron board. ¡°So you¡¯re back together now?¡±


    That question finally made her wince, ¡°Back together? We¡¯re friends, Kells, we¡¯ll always be friends.¡±


    ¡°Really? Even after what happened? You¡¯ve finally forgave him and everything¡¯s fine now? Like it was before? I mean ¡­ Did you talk about it? What did he say?¡± Kelsey was curious.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie furrowed her eyebrows, tilted her head slightly to see how interested Kelsey was on the topic. She closed herptop and that made Kelsey¡¯s face beamed. ¡°He apologized on his birthday, you saw it and now we¡¯re back being friends, and no ¡­ we didn¡¯t talk about it, what for?¡±


    ¡°How do you feel about it? It was your first time and for the longest time you had a crush on him and he ¡­ obviously he had something for you too,¡± Kelsey wanted to have the conversation that they had postponed for a long time.


    ¡°I used to have a crush on him ¡­ I don¡¯t anymore,¡± her voice went soft. ¡°It was a bad decision, I should¡¯ve known better ¡­ I guess I¡¯vee to terms that it was partly my fault, he is who he is and I made a poor judgement, anyways, I don¡¯t even remember half of what happened that night,¡± she said, partly true.


    ¡°How drunk were you? You don¡¯t remember any of it?¡± Kelsey didn¡¯t buy it.


    ¡°Too drunk to realize that it was a bad decision, I remember it was him though ¡­ he was ¡­ I don¡¯t wanna talk about it, Kells, I just want to forget about it,¡± she covered her face with both hands as the memories of that night started to form in her head.


    ¡°Ow! Come on! He was what? Was he good? I always wanted to know how he is in bed, well for obvious reasons ¡­ he¡¯s a walking dick, and clearly he¡¯s off limits for me,¡± Kelsey was not epting Julie¡¯s refusal to tell her story.


    Julie threw herself back on the bed, she wanted to erase the memory of how Preston¡¯s skin felt against hers, how their chest was pressed together, how he stripped her off her clothes without her realizing when it had happened.


    She wanted to lie that it didn¡¯t felt good when he touched her, that his lips didn¡¯t fit with hers when they were locked, their tongues tangled with each other, and that his eyes were not looking into hers and there was no way they were too drunk to realize what they were doing.


    ¡°I¡¯m not one to judge whether he was good or not, I have no one topare him to, I guess the booze helped with the sting because it didn¡¯t hurt as bad as I thought ¡­ it was just sex, Kells, one stupid drunken sex,¡± she said truthfully this time.


    But she remembered how her heart was pounding against the walls of her chest. She struggled to decide whether to push him away, but every stroke of his fingers pulled her back in. When he whispered in her ear ¡°God I wanted to do this for so long,¡± his face grazed against hers and he found his way in and then she was his.


    She remembered how surprised she was of the way he felt inside her, the sting, the pleasure, the warmth of his breath when he was kissing her neck. They have never been that close to each other, and it felt a little bit like love. And that was why she had to forget, because a part of her wanted it to be real, and the other knew it was impossible for a guy like Preston to be able tomit to one person sexually and she could never ept that. It would take the rest of her life to wait for him to grow up, even then he might not be able to do it, and she doesn¡¯t have the courage to wait.


    ¡°You have a strange bond with each other, I don¡¯t get it, but I¡¯m trying to understand ¡­ and then the sex, how are you not together?¡± Kelsey¡¯s question interrupted her thoughts.


    ¡°It¡¯s better this way, sex between us wouldplicate things ¡­ I¡¯m not gonna be his fuck buddy, I can¡¯t do that, I need a boyfriend ¡­ that¡¯s what I need, and Preston is not that person, you know what I mean?¡±


    Kelsey nodded, ¡°Yeah, I guess I can see it from your point of view ¡­ to me sex is just fun, if you can have fun with your best friend ¡­ why not, you¡¯re young and inexperienced, the more experience you can get the better.¡±


    Julie shook her head, ¡°I can¡¯t ¡­ ¡±


    Kelsey held her hand, ¡°I know, I guess we¡¯ll just have to find you a boyfriend ¡­ do you think he¡¯ll ever let you have one?¡±


    Julieughed at the irony, ¡°He will have to, that¡¯s why I think I need to be away from him for a while, the internship thing might be helpful.¡±


    Kelsey nodded again, she admired her for staying away from promiscuity, the kind of self-control that she didn¡¯t have. Sex had never made itplicated for her, it was just sex. But for Julie it was sacred and Kelsey knew how big of a deal it was for Julie when she had done it for the first time. ¡°I guess Nathan will have one more thing to do, he has to help me find you a boyfriend in Bhorma,¡± Kelsey suggested, theyughed.

 Chapter 13 Ready As I鈥檒l Ever Be

    Julie closed herptop and gave a sigh of relief, ¡°I think that¡¯s it for now, are you ready to go back and start everything?¡±


    Nathan sat back on his chair, ¡°Ready as I¡¯ll ever be ¡­ I¡¯m d you¡¯re on board, can¡¯t wait for December, it¡¯s gonna be exciting.¡±


    ¡°Me too, I feel like I¡¯m a part of it already, I have so many ideas that I want to share with you for Ardor.¡±


    Nathan sipped on his coffee, ¡°Please, give me everything you¡¯ve got, draft them up, send it through email or Skype me, I want to hear all of them, ¡¯cause I got plenty of those too ¡­ just not sure if they¡¯re doable, I guess we¡¯re gonna have to wait ¡¯till we get all the team ready.¡±


    ¡°True, at least you know what to look for when you¡¯re recruiting, we¡¯re setting a pretty high standard for a new business,¡± Julie said.


    ¡°I¡¯m willing topensate them for their contribution though, I believe that I need them more than they need me, looking at the task at hand, I need all the help I can get ¡­ it would be great if you cane and help me recruit since you know all the basics now,¡± Nathan looked at her with hopeful nces.


    Sheughed, ¡°But I¡¯m just the intern, that would be weird.¡± Heughed at it too, but he was already willing to hire her as an employee because of howpetent she was. ¡°You know, we should try that cooking videos you wanted to do in Bhorma, I¡¯ll set up the social media ounts for Ardor and then we¡¯ll make videos of you cooking there and post them ¡­ it¡¯ll be a form of marketing too,¡± she added a new idea.


    Nathan nodded, he always wanted to make cooking videos and start a traveling cooking channel but he was encouraged to start a steady business first by his parents. ¡°That way, once you decided to travel and cook, you¡¯ll already have a tform,¡± she concluded. Nathan smiled, she really thought of everything.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What about you? What do you want to do after you graduate?¡± he asked, although he expected her to extend her internship into an employment.


    ¡°Get out of Gastonburry, for sure, I¡¯ll probably go back to my parents for a month or so and do a little bit of solo traveling before plunging into the real world ¡­ so many things to do,¡± her eyes twinkled as she pictured herself in the future.


    ¡°Kelsey also wanted to go travelling after graduation, she told me she¡¯d probably be off for months to travel the world, not sure that I¡¯ll be invited though,¡± he chuckled. His eyes drooped and his smile faded away, ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll be fine when I¡¯m not here?¡±


    She wasn¡¯t sure what he meant by ¡®fine¡¯. ¡°You know what I mean, we¡¯ve only known each other for a couple of months now, I know she¡¯s not used to having a boyfriend around every day ¡­ It seemed like she couldn¡¯t wait for me to go back to Bhorma and leave her to her normal routine ¡­ whatever that is,¡± he frowned.


    ¡°What gave you that idea?¡± Julie stalled.


    Nathan shrugged, ¡°I guess you can sense these things, I¡¯ve been in a serious rtionship and I can tell that she doesn¡¯t perceive us that way, I want to try with her but at the same time I don¡¯t want to smother her because she¡¯s not used to it.¡±


    She knew he was expecting her to respond, but she knew better to stay away from her best friend¡¯s privacy. She didn¡¯t have the right to say anything on her behalf. She nodded, ¡°I think you¡¯re on the right track, she did say you¡¯re a keeper,¡± she was being honest.


    His eyes widened, ¡°Really? What else did she say?¡±


    Julieughed, ¡°Oh no, you¡¯re not going to do that if we¡¯re ever going to work together, I won¡¯t be the one who get stuck in the middle.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to do that, it¡¯s just that ¡­ my business is very demanding at the moment, it¡¯s hard to maintain a rtionship in a time like this, especially a long distance one.¡±


    She rested her face on her hand as she listened, she patted his arm, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you know what they say ¡­ a good rtionship shouldn¡¯t be hard to maintain, if the both of you are equally invested in it, it should go smoothly. I¡¯m sure everything¡¯s gonna be fine,¡± she tried to ease his mind. He wasn¡¯t convinced.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to wait and see,¡± he took a deep breath. ¡°What about you? Kelsey told me you¡¯re looking for a rtionship, she asked me to hook you up with one of my friends ¡­ ¡®the best you have¡¯ I might add.¡±


    Julie covered her face with both hands, ¡°Oh my God, I can¡¯t believe she actually told you that,¡± her cheeks were reddened when she took off her hands.


    ¡°Yeah, she specifically said he has to be equally smart, mature, independent and willing to take you out on book shopping every month,¡± he added.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her!¡± She was terribly embarrassed.


    ¡°I told her that would be hard to find ¡¯cause most of my friends are airheads which is part of the reason why we¡¯re friends so I can fool them into anything,¡± he joked. ¡°But then again, I said I want you to focus on working for Ardor and I wouldn¡¯t want you to be distracted by my airhead friends.¡± Theyughed, of course he was only kidding.


    Julie was shaking her head and immediately tried to change the subject. He thought it was adorable, how clumsy she was when she had to talk about her private life. ¡°I thought there was something going on between you and Preston? Although ¡­ he doesn¡¯t seem to fit your criteria,¡± Nathan pushed on.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re just friends, aplicated kind of friendship, but friends,¡± she said as herugh reduced into a simple smile and pursed lips. ¡°And I made him videos, I recorded him singing, edited the videos and uploaded them to his channel and other social media ounts ¡­ he got quite some likes and followers, just helping him out with his music career, you want to see what I did?¡± she finally stirred the conversation in another direction.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Nathan agreed. She opened up herptop and showed him what she¡¯d done. She told him how she was going to do the same with his cooking videos but with different styles. She exined her editing process and what could be done differently with Nathan¡¯s videos. All he heard was brilliant ideas after brilliant ideas. He thought of how much he was going to miss these meetings with her as his eyes often slipped from the monitor and ended on her beaming face.

 Chapter 14 Compromise

    Thest couple of nights in Gastonburry, Kelsey stayed at his ce. He indulged her with his best meals, his best wine, and put on his go to music for a quiet romantic night with his girlfriend.


    ¡°Are you going to be okay while I¡¯m gone?¡± he finally asked her.


    Her eyes flickered as she sipped her wine, ¡°Of course not ¡­ I will miss you terribly.¡±


    He smiled, ¡°Me too,¡± and then he was quiet.


    Kelsey went over to him and sat on hisp. She brushed his hair with her fingers, looped her arms around his neck. Something was on his mind, but he couldn¡¯t say it. She kissed him. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she sensed it.


    ¡°Kelsey ¡­¡± it was right on the edge of his tongue, she waited for it. ¡°Should I be worried?¡± he said.


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°About us ¡­ I mean, I can¡¯t help but feel like ¡­¡± he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say it. ¡°Neither of us have ever been in a long distance rtionship, do you think we can do this?¡±


    They looked at each other in silence. ¡°Are you having second thoughts?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What? No ¡­ I want to do this, do you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do, I want to give it a try ¡­ it¡¯s worth the try, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    They stared at each other again, they both felt the tension.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine ¡­ we¡¯ll have visits, voice calls, video calls, sexy video calls,¡± Kelsey said as she leaned her head against his, and rubbed his back.


    He kissed her cheek, ¡°You¡¯re right, I was just being silly,¡± he let out a long exhale. ¡°I should get this cleaned up,¡± he was referring to their dinner tes.


    ¡°Those can wait,¡± Kelsey held his hand to stop him. ¡°Why don¡¯t we convince each other up first that everything¡¯s gonna be perfectly fine?¡± she tilted her head to the direction of the bedroom.


    A wide smile spread across his face. He stood up with Kelsey still tangled around him. She didn¡¯t have to say anything more. He carried her all the way to the bedroom with their lips locked and closed the door behind him.


    **********


    He lie awake next to her naked body long after they finished. Her tan was starting to fade under the bright lights of his bedroom. Some of her hair fell over her face, she was sound asleep.


    Sex with Kelsey was always hot and steamy. She knew what she wanted, how she wanted it, and she was not shy about it. The noises she made, the way she moaned his name, her whimpers, it all made him weak in the knees. Sex with Kelsey was absolutely great. He knew it was what¡¯s keeping them together. With the long distance rtionship ahead of them, he was unsure.


    Neither of them had said it, the ¡®L¡¯ word. It was too soon, of course, they had only been together for two months. She was physically irresistible, the sex was what brought them together. They never really said anything about starting the rtionship, it just kinda happened. After all the sexing in Bhorma, it was assumed that they were a couple, and he followed her back to Gastonburry. And now he¡¯s leaving.


    They held each other tightly at the airport, their two month rendez-vous wasing to an end. They had spent every minute of thest couple of days together, because that¡¯s what couples do when they are about to be apart.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna miss you so much,¡± she said with both arms around his neck.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Their noses touched, ¡°I¡¯m gonna miss you so much.¡±


    They kissed.


    ¡°I¡¯m only a phone call away,¡± he said. Somehow it made the distance felt much closer.


    She smiled and nodded, ¡°Call me when you get there.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    They kissed again.


    The boarding call was announced. They broke off their embrace and stepped back. A faint smile curved on their lips. They looked at each other for a brief moment as if to take it all in before they finally said their goodbyes. He walked through the gate and waved, and when he was out of sight, she went back to her car.


    ¡°I¡¯ve boarded my ne, keep me posted with your brilliant ideas,¡± he texted Julie.


    The text was read, he waited for a reply.


    ¡°Will do, boss, I feel like I should be calling you that from now on, safe flight.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that, please, it¡¯s weird, and thanks.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Mr. Sommers.¡±


    Nathanughed, he rubbed his cheek, ¡°Nathan ¡­ just Nathan ¡­ unless you want your first reprimand letter.¡±


    ¡°Sad emoji¡±


    ¡°Kidding, gonna turn off my phone now, I¡¯ll talk to you soon.¡±


    ¡°Smile emoji, TTYL¡±


    He turned off his phone not realizing that he still had a wide grin on his face. He looked around and absorbed the reality that he was inside an airne. He was about to take off to the life he left behind for the chance to know a girl that might turn his life around. He sat back on his chair, took a deep satisfying breath, he was d he had done it. It was one of the best decisions he ever made. He was ready for the next step to the future. He was more excited than ever, because now he knew he had found what was missing before.


    **********


    Kelsey was not her usual self. She didn¡¯t say much after she got back from the airport. Julie caught her staring at the ceiling, wandered away in her thoughts. ¡°You okay?¡±


    She didn¡¯t reply immediately. She rolled over to her stomach. ¡°I¡¯m okay ¡­ just a little weird now that he¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so dramatic, he¡¯s not gone, he¡¯ll call you in seven hours or so,¡± Julie checked her watch to count the hours because his flight was an eight hour flight. ¡°It¡¯s okay to be sad, though, are you sad?¡±


    She thought about it for a moment, ¡°Yeah ¡­ I think I am.¡± She couldn¡¯t decide the reason of her sadness, whether it was because their rtionship was turning into a long distance rtionship, or because their goodbye felt more permanent than temporary.


    ¡°A ¡­ I¡¯m so sorry, look at you ¡­¡± Julie came over to hug her. ¡°You¡¯re finally in a serious rtionship,¡± she was happy for her best friend.


    Kelsey covered her face and let out a sigh of frustration. ¡°Urrgh ¡­ I wish it was that ¡­ he¡¯s such a great guy, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Julie raised her eyebrows, ¡°Yeah ¡­ he¡¯s¡¯ pretty great, I think?¡± she wasn¡¯t sure why Kelsey asked that question.


    ¡°Am I such a terrible person that all I want to do right now is to go out clubbing and have the fun I felt I¡¯ve lost when I was with him?¡±


    Julie sat back on her bed, as great as Nathan may be, there wasn¡¯t muchpatibility between them.


    ¡°I know he doesn¡¯t like to go out to clubs, and I tried to be that person that he likes, but ¡­ ¡± she didn¡¯t finish her sentence.


    Julie was nodding, ¡°Did you tell him that?¡±


    Kelsey hugged her knees, ¡°No ¡­ I want to be that person who can be with a guy like him, I know he¡¯s good for me, and the sex was great,¡± she exhaled again.


    ¡°You know what they say ¡­ a good rtionship shouldn¡¯t be hard, if you¡¯re both invested in it, it¡¯ll go smoothly ¡­ if it feels forced, maybe there¡¯s somepromising needed between the two of you, you should talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I shouldpromise myself to stay in a rtionship?¡±


    Julie paused, she didn¡¯t want to give her the wrong answer. ¡°I wouldn¡¯tpromise who I am for anyone, but there are some things I wouldpromise as long as the other person gives  an equal amount of effort for me.¡±


    Kelsey nodded softly. her gaze was far and hollow. It was a good answer on Julie¡¯s part, but it didn¡¯t seem to help her one bit. Kelsey stood up abruptly, ¡°I need a drink!¡±


    She went to her closet to find something to wear. A drink was always the solution for everything. Julie had some studying to do for a daily quiz the next day, but she can see how much Kelsey needed her that night. She went to her closet, grabbed a pair of jeans and a cute top to get ready for a night out. Compromise.

 Chapter 15 Roadkill

    It started out as a friendly night out, just a couple of beers at a quiet pub in the gallery. The gallery was a row of cafes, pubs and restaurants about fifteen minutes away from campus where students from all the Universities in Gastonburry blend in like a melting pot. It was the only area for nightlife other than the two clubs they had for a more lively entertainment.


    It often started like that with Kelsey, until she met her friends who also came to the same ce and then the night would grow longer as it progressed. The drinks woulde more than they initially nned, then they ended up hopping in the car to go to the club because everyone was drunk enough to invite each other for more drinks with louder music and a dance floor.


    They were still at the pub when Julie¡¯s phone rang. It was close to 10 PM, it was Nathan.


    ¡°Hey.¡± His voice at the other end.


    ¡°Hi! You¡¯vended!¡± she was half shouting.


    ¡°(Chuckled) I¡¯m at Ardor, actually, I went straight here from the airport ¡­ are you with Kelsey?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re at the Road Kill Pub, you know, just hangin¡¯ out for a few beers.¡±


    ¡°I bet ¡­ I texted her, she hasn¡¯t read it, I figured she must be out and about,¡± his voice was low.


    ¡°She was kind of sad when she got back from the airport, I thought she could use a night out for a couple of drinks,¡± she tried to make it look like it was her suggestion.


    ¡°Hmm ¡­ is she still sad now?¡± he didn¡¯t expect an answer.


    Julie looked over at Kelsey who wasughing loudly at another table with her friends.


    ¡°No ¡­ she¡¯s better now, see ¡­ it worked, I cheered her up.¡±


    Nathan pursed a soundless smile.


    ¡°You wanna talk to her?¡±


    He was silent for a moment.


    ¡°No ¡­ let her kick off her sadness for the night, just let her know I called and I texted her ¡­ is she there with you right now?¡±


    Julie nced at Kelsey again, she was deep in a conversation with a ss in her hand. She wasughing and patting her friend¡¯s back like they had just heard a very funny story.


    ¡°She¡¯s nearby,¡± Julie said.


    ¡°She¡¯s with her drinking friends at another table, you mean?¡±


    ¡°I can call her out just fine, she¡¯s really close ¡­¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t, it¡¯s fine,¡± he started to sound annoyed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call her in the morning, no, afternoon, it¡¯s fine, I wanted to show you the ce, actually, but maybe tomorrow, I¡¯ll be back here tomorrow anyways.¡±


    ¡°Wait, no, it¡¯s okay, let¡¯s just switch to video call so you can show me around ¡­ I¡¯ll just step outside for a little bit,¡± she said as she walked out of the pub.


    It was quiet outside, and they switched to video call. He showed her the ce where she would be taking her internship in December. The Ardor sign above the entrance was solid, elegant and masculine. So was the ambience of the ce. It was abination of wood  and ck industrial iron with a touch of brown here and there.


    The chairs were solid wood, the bar was ck, the huge kitchen equipped with silver apparels. ¡°This is my office,¡± he said. He walked through a metal push door out of the kitchen through the back, passed a small corridor and there was a door. ¡°And this will be your office,¡± he opened it. The room looked like the main office with a tall leather chair and a huge desk, fully carpeted and well thought out office furniture that goes with the concept of the whole restaurant.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Her eyes widened, ¡°My office? That looks more like your office.¡±


    Nathan pointed the camera back to his face. He was smiling widely, he looked tired but there was a twinkle in his eye that showed how much he cared about his project. ¡°I told you, the kitchen is my office, I¡¯ll be spending most of my time there so you can use the office for whatever desk work needed to be done.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a great looking office, I already have some decorations in mind, why don¡¯t you take some pictures of it and send them to me?¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    They looked at each other for a few seconds through the screen, tried to find more things to say when she was distracted by an oing vehicle that stopped right in front of the pub.


    Laughter and giggling can be heard when the car door opened. Preston stepped out of the car, ¡°I¡¯ll see you guyster!¡± he waved at them, and the car drove away.


    ¡°Preston!¡± Julie called out to him.


    ¡°I guess you should go back to your night out,¡± Nathan thought it was a sign to end the call.


    Julie turned to Nathan again, tucked her hair behind her ear, ¡°Okay, don¡¯t forget to send me those pictures.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it right after this, tell Kelsey I¡¯ll call her tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay, get some rest Nathan, you look tired,¡± she told him.


    He smiled, ¡°Will do, bye Julie.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t know you were here,¡± Preston said and gave her a warm hug, ¡°Who were you talking to?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it was Nathan, he was showing me his restaurant, he just got back in Bhorma.¡±


    Preston took a pack of cigarettes, pulled one with his teeth. He looked at her without saying a word and twirled his cig with his tongue.


    ¡°What?¡±


    He lit up his cigarette, ¡°Nothing,¡± took a long drag and took her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s get you back inside.¡±


    With Preston joining the group, it was definitely going to be a long night. He was there for an obvious reason, The Ladies Night at the club. They went inside and got more drinks, when the clock struck twelve, they hopped to their car and drove to the club.

 Chapter 16 Zachary Mason

    She propped up her chin with one hand, spun her pen on the other. She was done with her exam and was waiting for the announcement that time was up. All the other students were still deep in thoughts, you can hear a pin dropped in the ssroom. Out from the corner of her eye, she saw a figure outside the window. When she took a nce, Preston was waving at her with both arms up high.


    His hair was long enough to be tied back in a tiny ponytail. He was wearing a worn-out T-shirt, the cor was loose, his ne hung out, the top of his chest was visible. He was mouthing something that she couldn¡¯t make out. It didn¡¯t take long for the other students to notice him, and the girls were starting to murmured, ¡°It¡¯s Preston Hicks.¡± There was a giggling sound. Preston pointed to the cafeteria, his mouth was moving, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you at the cafeteria.¡±


    Julie nodded, but then he was mouthing something else that was harder to understand. The ssroom was buzzing. The girls waved at him, he smiled and winked at them, he was chewing a bubble gum. And then they were giggling some more.


    ¡°Okay ¡­ can somebody tell Jim Morrison there to not disturb the ssroom? We are still in exam,¡± the professor said. Everyone turned to look at Julie. She waved at him to tell him to go away.


    Preston realized he was disrupting the peace, he lifted his arms in a V and pressed himself against the window. His belly button was bulging above his ck leather pants. Everyone wasughing. The Professor was not too happy about it, ¡°Ms. Greene ¡­ will you please tell your friend to stop distracting my ss, or I will have to report this to the Dean.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir, sorry about that,¡± she stood up and gestured to Preston to leave.


    Heughed, stuck his bubble gum on the window ss, and licked it back in a slow seducing way.


    ¡°Oh God,¡± Julie muttered to herself and covered her face with one hand.


    He winked at her as he walked away, serenaded with the girls sigh of admiration.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about that Professor Cane.¡±


    The Professor stared stiff at her, he wasn¡¯t the least bit amused. ¡°I haven¡¯t the faintest idea why you are friends with that entric gentleman ¡­ please make sure that that will never happen again.¡±


    ¡°I will, Sir,¡± she sat down and all the girls were whispering.


    He was leaning against a beam, ying with his bubblegum when she arrived at the cafeteria 20 minutester. She took a tissue from her backpack and snatched the bubble gum from his mouth. ¡°Do you know when thest time anybody cleaned that window? That¡¯s disgusting, Preston.¡± She threw the tissue to the bin.


    He jumped off and hugged her, ¡°I just did, with my humping, didn¡¯t you see?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever do that again, I don¡¯t want to get notices from the Dean over your little stunts,¡± she warned him. ¡°What was so urgent anyways?¡±


    He put his arm over her shoulder and walked with her toward the parking lot. ¡°I need you toe back to my ce, I want to take some videos before you leave.¡±


    She was leaving in two weeks. Preston had made a couple of new songs that he wanted to record, and a couple of cover songs for his youtube channel. So they went to his car and drove to his house.


    When they entered, his mom was in the pantry. ¡°Julie! How nice to see you, dear. I was wondering when Preston was going toe home and bring you around?¡± she greeted her with a peck on the cheeks.


    ¡°Hi, Mrs. H. how are you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m alright, how are you? I heard you¡¯re taking an internship in Bhorma for three months? That¡¯s an excellent location you¡¯ve chosen, Bhorma is absolutely gorgeous! I wonder when Preston is going to do the same and graduate, since he¡¯s always busy with his bandmates and his music,¡± she gave her son a sharp look. ¡°Your dad¡¯spany is not going to run itself, you know?¡±


    Preston was munching on some cupcakes her mom made, dismissing her satire entirely. ¡°Julie¡¯s pretty good with business, mom, she¡¯ll run thepany when we get married one day,¡± he joked. There was a satisfied glow on his mom¡¯s face. She had always believed that Julie was Preston¡¯s steady girlfriend. Even though he brought many dates every now and then, Julie was a constant face and she¡¯s the kind of girl any parent would love to see with their sons.


    ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯d like to take my girlfriend upstairs and have some quality time,¡± he spoke into his mom¡¯s ear.


    Julie blushed, ¡°Oh we¡¯re just gonna make some videos ¡­ and I¡¯m not his girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Of course, honey, don¡¯t mind me, I¡¯ll be baking cakes down here all day for the charity event ¡­ you kids go upstairs and have fun,¡± she believed her son.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°We will ¡­ thanks mom,¡± Preston looped his arm around Julie¡¯s and escorted her upstairs.


    ¡°Oh ¡­ and Preston ¡­ ¡± They turned to hear what she had to say. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to use protection,¡± she smiled.


    ¡°Mrs. H. we¡¯re not ¡­¡±


    Preston put his hand over Julie¡¯s mouth, ¡°Of course, mom, I stocked up on that every week,¡± he said, halfughing.


    ¡°Good, see youter kids.¡±


    Julie pped Preston on his butt as they climbed the stairs. ¡°Preston! I can¡¯t believe you let her think we¡¯re dating!¡±


    ¡°No, I let her think we¡¯re fucking ¡­ everyone knows we¡¯re dating ¡­¡± he burst outughing.


    He pulled his shirt off as soon as they went into his bedroom, then he pulled down his leather pants. Usually he wouldn¡¯t be wearing anything underneath, he was wearing super tight boxers that day. And that was how Preston always wanted to be in his bedroom, in the nude, the boxers were for Julie¡¯s benefit.


    ¡°Why do you like to be naked so much? Do you always take off your clothes around all your friends?¡± she asked.


    Preston looked at her casually, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m only wearing the boxers for you ¡­ you might be the only girl I know that doesn¡¯t want to see what¡¯s underneath it.¡± He chuckled obnoxiously. She rolled her eyes and threw a pillow to his face. ¡°And usually ¡­ everyone else are naked too,¡± he was referring to his orgies. ¡°Sometimes ¡­¡±


    Julie put her palm on his face, ¡°Forget I ask ¡­ I don¡¯t wanna know.¡± She sat on the edge of the bed, ¡°Kelsey¡¯s like that too ¡­ I¡¯m so lucky to have best friends who love to be naked around me,¡± her tone was bitter.


    ¡°Do you take your clothes off with her?¡± he had a naughty look on his face.


    ¡°No ¡­ I like wearing clothes ¡­ well, unless I¡¯m being intimate with someone,¡± she wrapped her arms around herself and stretched in her cardigan.


    Preston pressed his lips, the image of her being intimate with someone was unnerving. He started to strum his guitar. ¡°You can¡¯t have two best friends, though, it wouldn¡¯t be ¡®best¡¯, who do you consider closest? Me or Kelsey?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous,¡± she threw herself on the bed. ¡°You¡¯re both my best friends, she¡¯s the girl and you¡¯re the guy, I can have one of each and still can call you both ¡®best¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Did she tell you she was hooking up with Zachary Mason the other night?¡±


    Julie jolted up from the bed, ¡°What? No, she didn¡¯t, how do you know that?¡±


    ¡°I saw her making out with him at The Den, his hands were right up her ass, pheew ¡­¡± Preston shook his head. ¡°They were really going at it, and then they went to his car and disappeared.¡±


    Julie was gaping, she was lost for words.


    ¡°I guess she didn¡¯t tell you that ¡­ don¡¯t tell her I told you that, there must be a reason why she didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    Julie covered her face with both hands, ¡°Because I¡¯ll be working with her boyfriend in two weeks ¡­ what the hell was she thinking?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it was just a harmless hook up, she wanted to have sex ¡­ I think it¡¯s understandable,¡± he said lightly.


    Julie red at him, they both really do have a lot inmon.


    ¡°What? Some people need more sex than others, it doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t love the person they choose to be with ¡­ it¡¯s just sex,¡± he defended his point of view.


    ¡°If your girlfriend is having sex with someone else, you¡¯d be okay with it?¡±


    Preston stared at her while thinking of his answer, ¡°If I had a long distance rtionship, I would understand if she slipped up ¡­ but it depends on the girl, if the girl is you than ¡­ you¡¯re not the kind of person that would do that, so if that happens with you, that means the rtionship is basically over.¡±


    ¡°What? How does that even ¡­ you know forget it ¡­ I don¡¯t even know why I asked you that,¡± she sulked.


    ¡°Why are you so upset about it? It¡¯s not like she¡¯s never done anything like this before, you know how she is.¡±


    ¡°Nathan is my friend, he¡¯s going to be my employer, and he¡¯s a good person ¡­ he doesn¡¯t deserve this,¡± she replied.


    ¡°If he doesn¡¯t know, it wouldn¡¯t hurt him.¡± It sounded like the kind of solution Kelsey would resort to.


    ¡°If he doesn¡¯t know, it doesn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t happen ¡­ you see the distinction?¡± She was on her feet and started pacing back and forth. ¡°Are you sure it was her?¡± She wanted it to be untrue.


    Preston threw a dismissive hand, ¡°Maybe it wasn¡¯t her ¡­ can we just forget that I ever mentioned it? I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be so worked up about it.¡± Preston grabbed her hand and stopped her pacing. ¡°Can we just do what we came here for? And not talk about Kelsey¡¯s sex life?¡±


    Julie closed her eyes and exhaled deeply, ¡°You¡¯re right, fine, as long as I didn¡¯t see it for myself, I¡¯d consider this to not be true ¡­ right?¡±


    Preston smiled and nodded, ¡°Right.¡±

 Chapter 17 I Love You

    She swept it under the rug. She knew what Kelsey was like, but she thought it was different with Nathan. She was willing to ignore what Preston had told her for the sake of salvaging the only decent rtionship Kelsey ever had with a guy, also the fact that Nathan had be someone that might stay in her life as a friend and professionally.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    She had booked her ticket to Bhorma, Kelsey was tagging along to surprise Nathan. She was definitely keeping the rtionship, it was easier for Julie to forget what Preston had told her.


    She came back early to the dorm that day to start packing. She was in a good mood after receiving her final exams result. As she was entering her dorm room, Zach was getting out of it.


    He looked like he just got out of bed, Kelsey was in the background tidying up her dress like she was just getting into them. ¡°Hey,¡± Zach greeted her casually. Julie gave him a half nod. Her gaze immediately moved to Kelsey who had guilt written all over her face. As soon as Zachary was out of sight, she pulled Julie in and closed the door.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you! Are you seeing him now?¡±


    ¡°Please, Jules, promise me you won¡¯t tell Nathan about it ¡­ it just ¡­ it just happened ¡­ one day we met at a party, we had lunch at the cafeteria, and then we identally met again at the club ¡­ you know, one thing led to another and then ¡­¡±


    ¡°God, Kelsey? What are you saying? You¡¯re dating him now?¡±


    Kelsey pressed her lips with a grimace, ¡°Kind of ¡­ not really ¡­ I don¡¯t know! I¡¯m still with Nathan, you don¡¯t have to worry about that, you can still do the internship and stay at his ce ¡­ I just ¡­ I couldn¡¯t decide ¡­¡±


    ¡°You know how much I hate to lie for you about these things, Kells? You actually think I¡¯m worried about not being able to do the internship? What about having to lie to a friend?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve done it before ¡­ I mean, I¡¯m sorry that you have to do that ¡­ I want to be with Nathan, I just need time to be able tomit to him the right way, you know? And it¡¯s hard with him not being around.¡±


    ¡°Really? And him being around would be better for you?¡± she challenged her with a look.


    Kelsey was taken aback by the question, it wasn¡¯t so much the question but the way Julie asked in her judgmental tone. ¡°Don¡¯t judge me like that ¡­ I¡¯m not perfect, Jules, I didn¡¯t n any of this, I didn¡¯t n to meet the right guy at the wrong time ¡­ I feel like I¡¯m still too young tomit, but I don¡¯t want to let him go ¡­ you know?¡±


    Julie stared deep into her eyes, ¡°No ¡­ I don¡¯t know, you don¡¯t have to be perfect in these kinds of situations, you just have to grow up! If anyone should say anything to Nathan, it should be you!¡± She was too upset to stay in that conversation, she left the room to cool down.


    It was the first time she ever yelled at Kelsey about something like that. She was never friends with all Kelsey¡¯s exes. Lying to Nathan would be a burden for her, especially because of how good he is as a person. She stormed out of the room and walked out of the building. She walked to her favorite coffeehouse to clear her head. Sometimes she thinks Kelsey might be too pretty for her own good. It was so easy for her to hook up with guys because of her looks. When she was actually with a good guy, she took it for granted and hooked up with another one.


    All the while, Nathan had been in constant contact to update her about the progress with Ardor. He had run the restaurant for almost a month and was overwhelmed with the whole process. He told her about the ups and downs of the business as he was learning by doing. There is still so much to fix which made it even more exciting for Julie to start her internship. But the thing with Kelsey had abruptly torn her excitement, and it was only three days away until her departure.


    A cup of hottte can always help her cope in any situation. The first sip already made her feel a bit better. Sitting in her favorite corner, she realized she didn¡¯t bring a book to read. She took out her phone, there were messages from Preston. He saw her storming out of the dorm and followed her by foot. Before she could answer his text, he was already entering the coffeehouse.


    ¡°You¡¯re right ¡­ she¡¯s seeing Zach, I just walked in on them at the dorm,¡± Julie started without a greeting.


    Preston sat across from her and sighed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what are you gonna do about it?¡±


    She lifted her shoulders, ¡°Nothing ¡­ and I hate it so much! I hate lying to someone who doesn¡¯t deserve to be lied to!¡±


    Preston kept silent, he was just there to listen as he watched her face.


    ¡°How do you do that? How do you keep a rtionship and sleep with other people, go back to your partner like nothing happened, and tell it to their face that you love them?¡±


    ¡°Me? Why are you asking me for? Shouldn¡¯t you be asking Kelsey?¡± Preston was amused by how sheshed out on him over what Kelsey had done.


    ¡°Well you do that too ¡­ you use your charm and good looks to attract girls, and then you smooth talk them into having sex with you while your girlfriend is somewhere out there thinking that you were thinking about her.¡±


    Preston¡¯s jaw dropped, ¡°You¡¯re really going at me right now? But this isn¡¯t about me ¡­ is it?¡± he felt like she was using him of something.


    ¡°Oh ¡­ forget it, I can¡¯t understand it, whatever the reason is.¡±


    There was an ufortable silence between them.


    ¡°Is this about what happened between us?¡± Preston took the courage to ask the question.


    ¡°No,¡± she said, but her expression gave her away. Somehow what was going on with Kelsey was a cruel reminder of what had happened to her.


    ¡°It is, isn¡¯t it? Can we talk about this?¡± Preston wanted to put an end to the lingering problem.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to talk about it, it¡¯s done and forgotten,¡± she dismissed himpletely.


    She tried to put up a stern face though she was crumbling inside. Her heart was racing, tears were building up behind her eyes. She hated herself for feeling the way she felt at that moment, she really thought she had recovered from it.


    ¡°Now who¡¯s the cold one? I surely haven¡¯t forgotten it, how could I ever?¡± his voice was soft.


    She pressed her lips together to hide the tremble.


    Preston held her hand, ¡°I never told her I love her, I went back to break up with her, and then I told you I love you.¡±


    She shook her head, pulled her hand away. ¡°You don¡¯t know the first thing about love, Preston.¡± She stood up and left, she didn¡¯t want him to see the tears that started to fall on her face.


    ¡°Wait ¡­ Jules!¡± he called out, but she quickens her pace. He ran after her out to the streets. He called out a few more times, she kept on walking. He wasn¡¯t going to let her go like that, he finally caught on and grabbed her arm. His heart almost stopped when he saw her face wet with tears. He never realized the repercussion of what he had done. He pulled her in and wrapped her arms around her, ¡°Oh, Jules, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    She buried her face in his chest and sobbed. She had been trying to stay strong, she couldn¡¯t hold it anymore. If there was anyone that could make her let go of the burden, it was Preston, the culprit, her best friend. He held her tight in his embrace, he wasn¡¯t going to let go, not until she was ready to let go.


    ¡°It was just sex, right? Some people need more sex than others, that¡¯s what you said,¡± she said between her sobs. She pulled away from him. ¡°But you were my first ¡­ it supposed to mean something to me,¡± she finally said what was so hard to ept.


    His heart sank, ¡°You¡¯ve taken it the wrong way, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± He wouldn¡¯t let go of her hands.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how else to interpret what you meant by that, and it¡¯s okay ¡­ really, I knew this but I did it anyway, it wasn¡¯t all your fault.¡± She tried to free herself to walk away.


    ¡°I was an idiot, I didn¡¯t intend for it to happen that night ¡­ I should¡¯ve waited, but you kept talking about wanting to fall in love with the perfect guy and how you wanted to lose it with him, and I ¡­¡±


    Julie looked at him puzzled.


    ¡°I wanted to be your first ¡­ I couldn¡¯t stand thinking it was going to be someone else.¡±


    ¡°You nned it?¡± Julie hugged herself, a surge of chill went over her.


    ¡°I wanted to break up with Naomi and then ¡­ I wanted to ask you to be my girlfriend ¡­ but that night was so perfect, I couldn¡¯t stop myself ¡­ I ended up screwing it all up and made you feel like you were just a booty call ¡­ it wasn¡¯t like that at all, Jules, you have to believe me,¡± his face was filled with guilt and fear. It was a confession she never thought she¡¯d hear from him. It rendered her speechless.


    ¡°I told you ¡­ it was just sex ¡­ with the other girls ¡­ but not with you.¡± He stared deep into her eyes as she was still unable to find any response to give him. His adoring eyes made her feel like she was the only girl in the world to him. But she knew him too well to know that he looks at everyone the same way, as beautiful his words were, she knew better not to believe him.


    She covered her face with both her hands, it burst out of her, she cried. She loved him. But a romantic rtionship would hurt one, if not both of them, and all they had will be lost forever. She didn¡¯t want that. It never crossed her mind to be romantically involved with her best friend.


    ¡°I wish you hadn¡¯t said that ¡­¡± her voice was almost inaudible.


    Preston shook his head, he knew what wasing, ¡°No ¡­¡± he didn¡¯t want her to say it.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be your girlfriend, Preston ¡­ you knew that ¡­ I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡± she said it quickly and walked away from him just as quick.


    His shoulders slumped, his hands on his waist. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to follow her. He knew she needed to avoid him. He kicked the trash bin that stood near him, what he wanted was to kick himself on the head for being such a failure. He failed every rtionship he had with a girl, and now he was failing this one too. The most important one in his life.

 Chapter 18 A Sad Asshole

    He walked back to the dorm feeling like a total loser. How could he have been such a jerk that even when he poured his heart out, told the naked truth to the person he most cared about, she didn¡¯t believe him. He suddenly felt so aware of himself, eyes gazing at him along the way to the dorm.


    ¡°Hey, Preston.¡± Pretty girls greeted him here and there. Somehow they all knew who he was around campus. ¡°Where are you going, Preston?¡± another voice came.


    It was gettingte. Girls who came at him only had one thing in their minds. He realized it was who he was, that was why Julie would never agree to be his girlfriend. He leanedzily on the doorway of his dorm. ¡°Hey ¡­ Preston ¡­ need somepany?¡± A girl in a miniskirt greeted him by the door.


    He smiled at the irony, ¡°Hey¡­¡± He didn¡¯t even know her name.


    ¡°Samantha, from Corporate Psychology ¡­ I sat right behind you,¡± she said.


    ¡°Samantha ¡­ of course I remember,¡± his gaze made her blush.


    She curled her hair with her finger, ¡°So ¡­ what are you doing tonight?¡±


    He took a deep breath. This was what he does every so often, and that night, he had a good excuse. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m going up to my room, d¡¯you wanna cum?¡± his charming smile was irresistible.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she agreed like so many others before.


    They walked up to his room hand in hand, knowing full well what they were going to do. He stopped and looked at Julie¡¯s door, convinced that she wasn¡¯t in there. Even if she were, she wouldn¡¯t want to see him. He pulled Samantha hard and led her to his room.


    As soon as they were in, he locked the door, put the sign on the door for his roommate. Samantha looked around at the mess. She was about to start a small talk when Preston pinned her to the wall and kissed her.


    His hands were under her skirt, his zing kiss made her gasped for air. He buried his face in her breasts. He unbuttoned her top, took his shirt off and ran his tongue all over her breasts. She couldn¡¯t resist his touches, especially when his fingers were already made their way inside her. She sighed, wrapped her arms around his neck.


    He closed his eyes as they kissed, feeling her hands touching his skin. He wanted to go back to that night where his lips were kissing Julie. He wanted to remember how sweet she tasted in his mouth. He opened his eyes to find an unfamiliar face. He stared her down, ¡°Your mouth is magical,¡± he lied. He put his finger inside her mouth, she made sucking motion, she got the hint. ¡°Atta girl,¡± he said, took off his pants and sat on the bed.


    She got down on her knees, her head between his legs. He threw himself on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He didn¡¯t want to see her face, he wanted Julie. But every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was how she cried and told him she didn¡¯t want to be with him. Tear drop formed in the corners of his eyes. There was a lump in the pit of his stomach. He wanted to feel the weight of Julie¡¯s body on top of him, her skin brushing against his, the warmth inside of her.


    He remembered that night, he wasn¡¯t drunk enough to forget how amazing it was. He tried to relive it in his mind, though it was someone else stroking him between his legs. When he finally came, Julie¡¯s name came out with it.


    ¡°Julie? Julie Greene?¡± Samantha¡¯s voice was sharp. He covered his face with both hands, he was caught, he had no excuse. Samantha stood up and kicked his leg hard, ¡°You¡¯re such an asshole, Preston!¡± She put her clothes back on.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry ¡­ I must¡¯ve fallen asleep,¡± he added to the fuel.


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± she screamed at him and hit him with her purse.


    He deserved it, he didn¡¯t even try to deny it. He sat on the bed and watched Samantha storm out and mmed the door. Another girl to confirm what an asshole he was.  A sad asshole, because there was still tears dripping down his face.


    **********


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jules, I promise I¡¯ll end it with Zach,¡± Kelsey said as soon as Julie walked in the door.


    She was calm and quiet, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°It will be the first thing I do after I get back from Bhorma,¡± Kelsey continued.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Julie said again.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say anything to Nathan, I just don¡¯t want to create any drama with Zach before we leave.¡±


    Julie sat on the bed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, have you been crying? I¡¯m so sorry, Jules, I promise I¡¯ll be good to him from now on, I swear.¡±


    Julie took a deep breath, she didn¡¯t have the energy to exin. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Truce?¡± Kelsey offered a pinky.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t even a fight,¡± shemented.


    ¡°Really? I thought you were so mad at me and you hated my guts?¡±


    ¡°I did ¡­ I do hate your guts ¡­ but it wasn¡¯t a fight.¡±


    Theyughed. Kelsey hugged her, finally relieved the problem was over. They couldn¡¯t stand to be mad at each other for long.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you have to lie for me, I know how much you hate that, but it¡¯s gonna be thest time ¡­ I promise.¡±


    Julie nodded. ¡°It¡¯ste, I think I¡¯m gonna pack tomorrow ¡­ I¡¯m really tired.¡±


    ¡°Okay ¡­ I¡¯m just gonna go out to buy something, I¡¯ll turn the lights out for you.¡±


    Kelsey did just that before she went out the door. Julieid in the dark, lying to herself that she was going to fall asleep, when in fact she was up all night staring into the dark.

 Chapter 19 Bhorma

    Three dayster, she was leaving for Bhorma. She hadn¡¯t heard from Preston since that night, nor she had tried to contact him. There was a knock on the door, it was Preston. Standing with both hands on either side of the door frame. Looking at his beautiful face, she was relieved.


    ¡°Hi ¡­ can I talk to you for a second?¡± She nodded and let him in. ¡°Is Kelsey here?¡±


    ¡°No, she went out to get somest minute stuff,¡± she said casually.


    They stood facing each other awkwardly. He saw the suitcases, a sense of loss crept inside him. ¡°Wow ¡­ you¡¯re all packed and ready to go,¡± hemented.


    She sat on her bed and nodded, waiting to hear what he came to tell her. He sat next to her, and faced her. ¡°I just want to tell you something ¡­¡± he began. ¡°I understand your decision ¡­ I¡¯m okay with that ¡­ I guess I was just selfish that I wanted you for myself, but I know one thing is for sure ¡­ I want you in my life forever ¡­ can I at least have that?¡±


    She felt a pressure from behind her eyes, he was saying exactly what she wanted to say. He took her hand, ¡°I love you, Julie, even though you don¡¯t think I know what it means ¡­ I love you in every possible way a person can love another ¡­ I just have to learn not to be selfish about it, because you¡¯re so important to me.¡±


    And with that, he earned the warmest hug she had ever give. ¡°I¡¯m so d you feel that way ¡­ I feel exactly the same way,¡± she said with a few tears on her cheeks, tears of joy.


    ¡°Did you think I was going to disappear and we¡¯d never see each other again?¡± There was a smile of relief on his face. She wiped her tears and nodded. ¡°You know you can¡¯t get rid of me, even if you try.¡± He lifted his shirt and put her hand on his tattoo, right in the middle of his chest. ¡°I made this in the summer ¡­ the worst summer in my life, when you shut me out like we¡¯ve never even been friends,¡± he reminded her.


    That made herugh, ¡°It¡¯s just a ¡®J¡¯ ¡­ it could¡¯ve been a Jacklyn or a John.¡± Heughed, ¡°It¡¯s enough to repel anyone who thinks they¡¯re going to have a serious rtionship with me ¡­ unless she¡¯s a ¡®J¡¯ ¡­ I didn¡¯t really think that through.¡± They were all warm and cozy again.


    Kelsey walked in on them hugging each other, ¡°A ¡­ that¡¯s so sweet, are you going to hug me like that too before I fly back here on Sunday?¡± She came over and hugged them too. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get our stuff in the taxi ¡­ we don¡¯t wanna bete.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get your stuff down,¡± Preston said. In just a short conversation with him, she was back being herself again. She was ready for her new adventure.


    They stood by the taxi and hugged, really tight this time. ¡°I love you,¡± she told him. His eyes said a thousand words. ¡°I¡¯m d you came today,¡± she added.


    ¡°Me too ¡­ I¡¯ll call you ¡­ very often ¡­ good luck, Jules, I know you¡¯ll do well.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡± They kissed each other on the cheeks and said their goodbyes.


    **********


    She texted Nathan before boarding the ne.


    ¡°Awesome, can¡¯t wait to see you. Have a safe flight.¡± He responded.


    When she turned to Kelsey, she was also texting on her phone, it was Zach. She turned her phone off afterwards and changed her SIM card to her original number. She didn¡¯t realize it was that serious. She pretended not to notice, but deep down she knew, the thing with Zach is not going to be over soon.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    **********


    It was an hour before sunset. The sun was still up, the ind breeze blew against her hair. She can smell the scent of the ocean as she descended the stairs of the airne. The vibe was calming, far from the seriousness of Gastonburry where the vibe felt more academic. Bhorma had a sense of easiness and vacational, even though she was there for work.


    Tall, dark and handsome. He stood out among the crowd. He waved at her as he slid his way through at the arrival gate. He was smiling widely and gave her a warm lingering hug.


    ¡°I have a surprise for you,¡± Julie said.


    His eyes narrowed in suspicion and before she could tell him what it was, his attention shifted to a familiar figure that came through the automatic ss door.


    ¡°Oh my God! You didn¡¯t tell me you wereing?¡± He said when he caught Kelsey jumping to his embrace.


    ¡°Surprise!¡± Kelsey kissed him and wrapped her arms around his neck.


    ¡°You¡¯re just in time for the sunset at Ardor, we should get to the car before it gets jammed at the exit.¡±


    She enjoyed the view from the back seat,pletely detached from Kelsey¡¯s conversation with Nathan in the front. Her mind drifted away in the orange Bhorma sky. The birds flying by. People dressed in their summer clothes walked the streets, even though it was December. They drove through the narrow streets of grassy fields. It felt so far away from home, yet warm in her heart.


    They arrived just in time to see the sky turning purple. The orange sun descended in the back of the vast sea that weed them right behind Ardor. The second floor balcony had four tables under umbres. It was windy, and she could hear the wave sshing against rocks from where she stood. The scenery took her breath away. The notion that this was going to be the ce where she will spend most of her time for the next three months, put a smile on her face.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna like it here,¡± she mumbled.


    Nathan turned to look at her, ¡°I hope so.¡±


    The day turned dark quickly. The waiters came outside to lit candles inside small ssnterns on each table, also the torches on every corner of the balcony. The lights from inside the restaurant prated the ss doors and windows. She looked around, ¡°I can see myself working here every night before closing ¡­ I really like what you did with the ce.¡±


    ¡°I should introduce you to everyone, they¡¯re setting up dinner for us, so you get to taste our signature meals and beverages before you start tomorrow.¡± Nathan took them inside, pass the bar. ¡°But first ¡­¡± he stood in front of the bar and picked up a fresh cup from the Barista, ¡± ¡­ coffee,¡± he handed it to Julie. Exactly what she was hoping for. ¡°And wine after dinner,¡± Nathan said to Kelsey along with a peck on her cheek.

 Chapter 20 First Day At Work

    They drove about twenty minutes to get to Nathan¡¯s vi. There were a lot of motorbikes in Bhorma traffic. Nathan said that people usually go by foot for a shorter distance. He lived alone in his three bedroom vi. The lower ground was for the garage and household tools. The living space was on the upper ground. A wide living room with cushions around the floor sofa facing the TV.


    The pantry was on the other side of the room, along with a six seater dining table which looked like it¡¯s rarely used. In between the two parts of the upper floor was a corridor with two doors on each side, three bedrooms and a bathroom was thest door on the left. Nathan upies the master bedroom with an internal bath of his own.


    The guest room was across the external bathroom, and the bedroom across from Nathan was reserved for his parents whenever they came to visit. A localdy was hired to keep the ce clean and organized. A huge balcony can be essed through the ss door beside the living room, a familiar setting that seemed to influence Nathan¡¯s restaurant.


    It felt more like home than a bachelor pad. Arge bookcase besides the TV was filled with all kinds of books that he and his family read. Pictures of him with his family decorated the cab. That was when she saw Nathan¡¯s younger sister that he sometimes mentioned. The two seemed to have a really close bond judging from the pictures.


    ¡°Make yourself at home, just let me know if you need anything, Mrs. Elsiees in everyday at 5. 30 in the morning and leaves at around 10, so ¡­ don¡¯t be rmed if there¡¯s ady here when you wake up in the morning,¡± Nathan interrupted her observation of his cab.


    ¡°Okay ¡­ thanks ¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just gonna take a shower and probably sleep, we¡¯ll leave at around nine tomorrow morning,¡± he added.


    ¡°Sleep? That¡¯s not what we¡¯re going to do,¡± Kelsey hugged him from behind and pressed her face against his back. He almost blushed.


    Julie smiled, ¡°That¡¯s okay, I can manage ¡­ you guys go ahead and ¡­ sleep, I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Good night Jules!¡± Kelsey said while pushing Nathan slowly into his room.


    Sheid on her bed after showering, thanking the stars that the walls were thick enough to contain any sounding from Nathan¡¯s bedroom. She went over her phone, dropped Preston a message, ¡°I think I¡¯m ready for my new life here.¡± It was delivered, but left unread. He must be out clubbing with his friends. So she went over Preston¡¯s music she recorded and uploaded it to SoundCloud. It was a song he wrote about his ¡°Girlfriend¡±. As she listened to it a few times on repeat, she fell asleep.


    **********


    Kelsey came out of Nathan¡¯s room in her new bikini, a wide beach hat and a sheer beach kimono. Her hairless skin was smooth and glossy, she smelled like coconut oil. She asked to be dropped off at the beach on the way to Ardor, even skipping breakfast altogether to enjoy the morning sun by the beach.


    Ardor opens at 7. 00 AM, it serves a delicious variety of breakfast menu up until 11. 30. The food was fresh and well seasoned, Nathan had trained his kitchen crew really well. Andy, the Barista did a good job with the coffee too. She spent most of her first day going through  the basics with Nathan in the office, spent some time in the kitchen to see how they operated and observed the floor on busy hours.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to finally have you here,¡± Andy said from the other side of the bar. ¡°Nathan had been telling everyone about you since day one,¡± he added.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to finally be here, I hope I can help ¡­ well, this is actually helping me graduate next year,¡± she said.


    Andy was a fresh graduate from a local University. He had been working part time as a Barista in a well known coffee house for the past two years. To start working full time at Ardor was an opportunity for a career in the restaurant industry. He wanted to master the art of making coffee and dreamed of having his own coffee house one day.


    As the day grew darker, they¡¯ve gotten acquainted through a long conversation about work. She wanted to get insights from people who¡¯ve already worked there since the beginning. She felt like she needed to catch up and make new friends while at it. She listed down everything she learned from that day. Developing ideas in her bedroom at night while Kelsey and Nathan went out on a date, then her phone rang.


    Preston was on the other end of that call. He was calling from his dorm room. It was dark, but she can see a silhouette of a girl lying under his bed sheets. ¡°Thank you for uploading my song, it got 600 downloads when I checked this morning ¡­ that¡¯s a lot for one night,¡± he said as he stood up from his bed and walked out of the room.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee ¡­ 600? Wow, that¡¯s the most you ever got over night.¡±


    ¡°I know right? How are things at your end? I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t call earlier, I was busy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, I can see how busy you are,¡± she joked.


    ¡°What? Oh ¡­ that?¡± he pointed to his door. ¡°No, I was busy getting some materials for the exam weeking up ¡­ see, this is why I need you around so badly, I think I¡¯m gonna flunk in all 6 subjects this semester.¡±


    Julie smiled, ¡°You¡¯ll manage ¡­ maybe she can get you the materials you need ¡­ you should ask her that when she wakes up.¡±


    Preston rubbed his face and sighed, ¡°You know, I didn¡¯t think of that before, we didn¡¯t really talk before ¡­ maybe I should ask her.¡±


    She could only imagine how everything went down, Preston doesn¡¯t really ¡®talk¡¯ to the girls he brought back to his room. ¡°Were you sleeping? Are you naked?¡± she saw his bare chest and wondered if he had gone out of the room without putting anything on.


    ¡°Uh-huh ¡­¡± heughed.


    ¡°Jeez, Preston, make sure you¡¯re not locked out of your room.¡±


    He shrugged it off and sat on the corridor floor. ¡°I miss you ¡­ I wish I could have breakfast with you in the morning,¡± he said. It went unanswered.


    ¡°Kelsey¡¯s going back tomorrow, you can have breakfast with her from then on,¡± she offered a sce.


    ¡°Me, her and Zach?¡± theyughed. ¡°It won¡¯t be the same,¡± he said.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your date going to stay ¡¯til breakfast at least?¡±


    Preston pursed his lips, ¡°I don¡¯t know ¡­ can we not talk about my date?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard not to talk about it when you call me after sex, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m sorry, I was thinking about you.¡±


    Julie rolled her eyes. He stared at her through the phone, wanting to say something, but decided to end the call instead.


    ¡°I just wanted to say thanks for the upload, I¡¯ll call you again soon.¡±


    He stood up bare bottom naked in the corridor. He went inside his dorm room, put on some clothes and left without so much ncing at his date. She said she was ready for her new life in Bhorma, while he was tumbling around in his old life, or new life, without her.

 Chapter 21 My Good Boss

    Nathan was a good friend, and a good employer, not just to her, but to everyone. He made everyone feel like they¡¯re in one big team, each person was equally important. Anybody can contribute their ideas to improve the restaurant, the food, the working environment, and he took everyone¡¯s opinion into consideration.


    He didn¡¯t get angry whenever there was a screw up, he knew everyone was learning as they went just like he was. And that it would take years to build something substantial, Nathan wanted to bring the team to grow with him and thepany. He learned to tackle everything that the team wascking, he has this calmness about him in oveing problems that made everyone feel secure.


    Julie was observing strong leadership from Nathan. Whenever they were short on staff, Nathan never hesitated to go down and dirty in the kitchen or serve food to the customers, always with a smile on his face. He chatted with everyone, his extroverted vibe adds to the warm weing feeling of Ardor, a name that felt more and more appropriate for the ce as time goes by.


    His leadership brought the best in everybody, and the sense of belonging made it easy for them to give their best to improve. Julie worked on getting a permit to install a pathway from the beach straight to Ardor. This had increased a significant amount of visitors. She drafted spreadsheets to help out map the moneying in and out, even though it wasn¡¯t part of her job. She helped with contract agreements, tax calctions because they were not big enough to hire an ountant or to have a legal department within thepany. Nathan was increasingly dependent on her assistance. They took turns in taking day offs, three weeks in and he already trusted her with almost everything.


    She called Kelsey to check in on her, it went to voicemail. She tried again a couple of times, the same thing happened. It was Thursday night but it¡¯s not unusual for her to go out clubbing on a weekday. So she called Preston instead.


    ¡°Do you know where Kelsey is?¡±


    ¡°Well ¡­ hello to you too, I thought you were looking for me.¡±


    ¡°Sorry ¡­ I tried to call her a few times but it went to voicemail, was wondering if you¡¯ve seen her or spoken to her recently,¡± she was worried.


    Preston was strumming his guitar, a lit cigarette was hanging from the corner of his lips, a mist of smoke fogged the view in the camera.


    ¡°Do you really wanna know where she is?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know ¡­ do I?¡± she hesitated.


    He took a drag and pulled the cigarette with his fingers, blew out a long trail of thick smoke.


    ¡°Thest time I saw her was two days ago, we had lunch together ¡­ with Zach.¡±


    Julie paused for the rest of that sentence.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say, she hasn¡¯te back to your room since then, I knocked on the door to check ¡¯cause her phone was always off when she¡¯s with him.¡±


    Julie rubbed her face in distress, ¡°Oh that¡¯s bad ¡­ I thought she broke it off with him?, we never really talked about it when we spoke on the phone ¡­ I guess because Nathan was usually there.¡±


    Preston took a sip from his ss which looked like whiskey on ice. ¡°It sure didn¡¯t look like they¡¯d broken up ¡­ I¡¯ve been writing a new song, been ying with it since morning, do you know I got almost one hundred thousand downloads on that song I wrote for you?¡±


    ¡°Really? Wow that¡¯s great news, Preston, I¡¯m so happy for you!¡±


    ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯m happy about that too ¡­ that¡¯s why I¡¯m writing new ones, requests areing in for new tracks.¡±


    They ended up talking for hours until her battery died, before she knew it, it was close to 3 AM and she was feeling a little hungry. She went out to the kitchen to find something to snack on. Nathan¡¯s fridge was always filled with leftovers from the restaurant, or delicious food he experimented on. He even made his own ice cream.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    She sat on the kitchen ind with a bowl of peanut butter and chocte ice cream. She took a piece of Nathan¡¯s homemade super gooey brownie and a banana on the side. She was already used to the moonlight eliminating the vi at night that she didn¡¯t turn on the lights. She took a spoonful of her mixture and closed her eyes to devour the heavenly taste in her mouth when the lights suddenly turned on.


    Nathan was standing at the edge of the corridor where the light switch was, he was in his shorts. Julie was half choking on her ice cream.


    ¡°Oh, sorry ¡­ I didn¡¯t know you were in here,¡± he casually walked towards the pantry.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault, really, I should¡¯ve turned on the lights ¡­ I was hungry, I found your ice cream,¡± she lifted her spoon.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep,¡± he said as he poured water into his ss. He leaned on the kitchen counter and gulped the whole ss in one go.


    She can see all his tones and abs, good enough to distract her and not intimidating enough to make her ufortable. It was the first time she ever saw his nipples, and his shorts were hanging a little low. She looked away, not wanting to be caught staring at his body.


    ¡°Have you been in contact with Kelsey?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Not today,¡± she answered without looking at him.


    ¡°When was thest time you talked to her?¡±


    She kept eating her ice cream, still not wanting to look at him. ¡°I think it wasst week ¡­ we texted sometimes, but only short updates on what we¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah ¡­ me too ¡­¡± then he went silent.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± she nced for a second and turned away again.


    ¡°I was hoping you could fill me in on that,¡± his voice softened.


    She cleared her throat, not prepared for an answer. He noticed she was slightly awkward, and realized he was practically naked. ¡°Oh ¡­ I think I should put on some clothes.¡±


    She acted casually, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pretty chill tonight.¡±


    He went to his bedroom and got out in seconds in a shirt and training pants.


    ¡°Are you going straight to bed after this? I¡¯m thinking Irish Coffee. Do you like some?¡± he took some cups from the cab.


    ¡°That sounds nice, yes ¡­ please, I¡¯m not sleepy tonight, I was just talking to Preston and kinda lost track of time.¡±


    ¡°Preston?¡± as if the name was unfamiliar to him. ¡°Does he know where Kelsey is?¡± his eyes looked at her sharply while sipping on a ss of water.


    ¡°She¡¯s probably out clubbing, turned off her phone or something,¡± she couldn¡¯t look him in the eyes.


    He lifted his eyebrows, ¡°That makes sense, I wish she¡¯d told me, though  ¡­ I haven¡¯t been able to contact her in three days.¡±


    She didn¡¯t respond.


    He handed her the cup, ¡°I¡¯m gonna let you off the hook for this one,¡± he smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s sit on the balcony ¡­ sometimes I just sit there ¡¯til sunrise ¡¯cause the view is amazing.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t recall to have known anyone that drinks coffee at 3 AM other than herself, and she was d that she did. They ended up drinking three cups of Irish Coffee at the balcony, and talked about everything else other than Kelsey. He talked about his family, how close he was with his mother and sister. He looked up to them and considered them to be his strongest support system. She loved hearing stories like that, even a little envious because she didn¡¯t have that with her own family.


    Ever since her parents re-married, she felt alone. She never really had a serious rtionship, thest boyfriend she had was in high school and it ended badly because he cheated on her. Her only support system was herself and Kelsey, until she met Preston. They were a world different from her, but they loved each other. And then Nathan, someone she gradually looks up to and admire for everything that he is, and the various things they had inmon.


    There was silence for a brief moment as they let the beauty of nature sink in. The early sunlight prated through the first morning mist, and the sky slowly turned from grey to a soft orange. The chill of dawn faded, as the warmth of the sun made its way through. A moment to reflect on how wonderful it is to share something like that with someone they feel sofortable with.

 Chapter 22 Plans For The New Year鈥檚 Eve

    She worked together with other staff to decorate Ardor for Christmas. Even though it wasn¡¯t a popr festivity in Bhorma. Most people go back to their hometown to celebrate, those who stayed are people like Julie who don¡¯t celebrate the holiday with her family.


    ¡°You don¡¯t go back for Christmas?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°No ¡­ just a phone call would do,¡± she didn¡¯t want to exin.


    ¡°When do you go home, then?¡±


    She shrugged, ¡°Maybe after graduation ¡­ before I officially start working, what about you?¡±


    Andy poured some milk into the fresh cup he just made, ¡°My family lives here, we see each other everyday, I actually need an excuse to get away from them.¡±


    Theyughed. He handed her the cup, it smelled better in Christmas.


    ¡°Thank you so much ¡­ oooh I love it,¡± she inhaled the aroma before taking a sip.


    ¡°I noticed you alwayse here by taxi ¡­ you know, I can pick you up on my way here,¡± he offered.


    ¡°Really?¡± she tilted her head, the offer sounded good.


    ¡°Yeah, I pass Nathan¡¯s house everyday, I can stop by and pick you up ¡­ since wee in at the same time,¡± he confirmed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you passed his house everyday, but ¡­ I don¡¯t want to trouble you or anything.¡±


    He waved one hand, ¡°No trouble ¡­ really, it¡¯ll save you some taxi money.¡± It took him almost a month to ask her that.


    ¡°Okay ¡­ that¡¯s great ¡­ thank you so much,¡± she gave him a hug.


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    **********


    ¡°Andy? ¡­ my Andy?¡± Nathan¡¯s first response when she told himter that day.


    Sheughed, ¡°Your Andy? Andy the Barista is YOUR Andy?¡±


    ¡°Well ¡­ yeah, why didn¡¯t you tell me you needed a ride in the morning, I could take you, I told you that, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a ride, actually, but he offered and I thought it¡¯s convenient, and I can save some taxi money,¡± she sipped her coffee.


    Nathan paused for a moment, ¡°Okay ¡­ I guess you need new friends here anyways, I didn¡¯t realize you¡¯ve been here almost a month now, and you haven¡¯t really hanging out with anyone but me ¡­ it must be torture for you.¡±


    Theyughed. ¡°No ¡­ I love hanging out with you, a month? Really? It doesn¡¯t feel like it ¡­ it would be nice to be friends with the others and not just ¡®The Boss¡¯, you know? I don¡¯t want to create a gap, especially because I¡¯m staying at your ce and everything.¡±


    They never really thought about it when they started. As time went by, Julie felt other employees were a bit distant towards her because she was close with The Boss. Although Nathan never put himself on a pedestal, everyone knew he owned the ce and the future chain of business to follow. If she was going to work there for the long run, she needed to find a new living arrangement. It would help to get to know the locals.


    She told Nathan that it would be a good idea to put Andy in a Barista course to develop his skills. She advised me to add a new section in the restaurant for coffee and eatery. Nathan folded his arms in front of him, she never ceased to amaze him, ¡°That¡¯s a great idea, I don¡¯t know why I haven¡¯t thought about that ¡­ I will definitely consider it, but don¡¯t say anything yet,¡± he was excited.


    The next morning, Andy picked her up in his motorbike. She never rode on one before. She put on the helmet and held on really tight to Andy¡¯s waist, it made him blush. Nathan came out from the vi without his shirt on to see them go. He never woke up that early, but he did that morning.


    Everyone at Ardor had been guessing around Nathan and Julie¡¯s rtionship. They didn¡¯t do it out of nosiness, it was something too palpable to ignore. They spend a lot of time in the office together. Other times, they can be seen enjoying their coffee at the balcony, but most of all, they go home together to Nathan¡¯s vi.


    When she came with Andy that morning, it dismissed their suspicions. Especially because Andy had been talking about Julie with his colleagues all the time. Julie agreeing to be picked up that morning was convincing him to make his move.


    ¡°Do you have any ns for New Year¡¯s Eve?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Not really ¡­ do you?¡± she leaned closer to him on the bar.


    ¡°Are you working on New Year¡¯s Eve?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking of taking the night off ¡­ I think Nathan wouldn¡¯t mind, he did offer me to take some time off ¡­ I kinda want to experience New Year¡¯s Eve ¡­ Bhorma style,¡± she said.


    ¡°There¡¯s a rock n¡¯ roll bar near the Hard Rock beach, the band performances there are the best on the ind ¡­ I know you like the 80¡¯s and 90¡¯s rock music ¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentences, she was already agreeing to go. ¡°That¡¯s where I want to go then, are we going together?¡±


    He stumbled on an answer, he was supposed to be asking her out on a date. ¡°Yeah ¡­ we can go together.¡±


    ¡°Great! I¡¯ll let Nathan know I¡¯m taking the night off,¡± she didn¡¯t wait for an answer.


    **********Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°The Rockabillies? I was going to take you there this weekend ¡­ it¡¯s a great rock n¡¯ roll bar, you¡¯ll love it there,¡± Nathan said.


    ¡°I was thinking to go there on New Year¡¯s eve ¡­ is it okay if I take the night off? I¡¯ll work until 9 or 10 and head out there afterwards.¡±


    Nathan paused for a moment, it was Ardor¡¯s first New Year¡¯s Eve. ¡°New Year¡¯s at the Rockabillies sounds excellent ¡­ we¡¯ll go at 10.¡±


    She was stunned speechless.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll train Lauren and Dale and everyone else to handle the rest of the night without us ¡­ they¡¯ll be alright, we¡¯ve got the menus ready, and the tables are already booked,¡± he continued.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± she started to feel bad that he had to leave Ardor on a very important night.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure ¡­ it¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve in Bhorma, we should go out and celebrate,¡± he convinced her.


    ¡°I mean ¡­ I can go with Andy if you have to stay, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°You, me and Andy, great! The more the merrier,¡± he said.


    ¡°That¡¯s great, I¡¯ll make it up to you ¡­ I¡¯ll work double shifts next week,¡± she said and left his office with a smile.


    He fell back on his chair, his heart was beating faster. For a moment he stared at the wall. half believing in what he had just done. Ardor was the most important thing in his life at the time, but spending the New Year¡¯s Eve at The Rockabillies suddenly became equally important.

 Chapter 23 The Rockabillies

    They parked the car at a five minute walking distant parking lot. The streets were filled with parked vehicles and people getting ready for midnight. The Rockabillies entrance can be essed from the narrow street where rows of bars, cafes and restaurants lined from end to end. They were ying all kinds of music that was jumbled up as they walked up to The Rockabillies.


    Some people were too drunk to stand up and were just sitting on the pavement or leaning against the street lights still in their party mood. It was a warm night with no breeze. A tropical December night, something she never experienced before.


    They walked over the long entrance over a wooden bridge. The jungle themed bar had swimming pools and arge whirl pool filled with visitors in their bathing suits holding their drinks. There were bars in between the pools. They walk past huts for people to sit and gather around tables with their group.


    At the end of it were the lounges, seats under umbres facing a huge stage. A wide open space in front of the stage for people to stand. On the back of the stage was the beachfront where people can go straight to the ocean, or walk ten minutes to the Hard Rock Hotel nearby.


    Top notch local bands performed there regrly like a mini concert. It was the local version of the Hard Rock Caf¨¦. It was an outdoor venue and the drinks were much cheaper. Julie¡¯s face was beaming with excitement, she was vibrating with the ambience. Before the band started the performance, she was at the bar ordering the drinks.


    Andy didn¡¯t know what hit him. It was supposed to be a date that he failed to initiate. He ended up going to a New Year¡¯s Eve celebration with his date and The Boss. Andy didn¡¯t mind the drinks at all, he would take anything to break the ice since the moment he got into the back seat of Nathan¡¯s car.


    He was dreading his poor game from the moment Julie told him Nathan was joining them on this supposedly ¡°date¡±. He took big gulps of his whiskey and ordered another two. ¡°Whoa ¡­ slow down buddy, the night¡¯s still young,¡± Nathan patted him on the back and clinked his ss to his. ¡°Yeup,¡± he said to himself and then bottoms up.


    He thought the coast was clear for him to make a move on Julie. He was sure nothing was going on between her and Nathan, but then, this happened. The fact that Nathan wasn¡¯t with his girlfriend on a New Year¡¯s Eve was one thing, leaving Ardor on a night like that was another. He saw how Nathan was watching her. He took another big gulp on his whiskey, how was he ever going topete with The Boss. To make things worse, Nathan paid for everything.


    As the night moved along, he was feeling lousier. Julie was having the time of her life, she sang and danced along with the band¡¯s performance. Somewhere between a tribute to Nirvana and Peal Jam, she was lost in the crowd, body surfed with all the strangers who shared the same hysteria.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    By the time they started counting down for the new year, his vision was already blurry. He was aware that Nathan and Julie were standing beside him, not nearly as drunk as he was. Then he was sobered for a few seconds when Nathan kissed her on the lips when the clock struck twelve. A kiss thatsted two seconds too long and left Julie¡¯s eyes widened.


    She quickly turned to him and gave him a hug and a peck on the cheeks. The incident soon buried under the loud noise of people cheering, toasting, trumpet ring and the fireworks show on the beach. He took another big gulp of his drink and swallowed the bitter truth. Julie was off limits for him now. He couldn¡¯t help but think that he was there simply to witness and get the message that Nathan was trying to send him.


    Less than ten minutes after that, it was all ck for Andy.


    ***********


    ¡°He¡¯s going to have a nasty hangover in the morning,¡± Julie said after theyid him on the floor sofa at Nathan¡¯s vi.


    ¡°More than just a nasty hangover, I¡¯d say,¡± Nathan said with a satisfied look on his face.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize he was drinking that much.¡±


    ¡°He started pretty quick,¡± Nathan studied her face.


    ¡°I had a really good time tonight, thanks for letting me take the night off.¡±


    ¡°No problem, it was a needed break, I guess ¡­ I had a great time too,¡± still staring at her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna call Kelsey and wish her a happy new year,¡± she took out her phone.


    ¡°Okay ¡­ let me know if she picks up, I tried to call her earlier and got her voicemail.¡±


    He put down his ss and walked over to his room, ¡°Good night Julie,¡± he took another nce at her.


    ¡°Good night,¡± she said with a light smile.


    She went to her room and dialed Kelsey¡¯s number, she paused for a moment and changed her mind. She put the phone down on the pillow next to her, her head felt light. She remembered the kiss, she was going to call Kelsey in the morning instead.

 Chapter 24 The Morning After

    She woke up to the sound of her phone ringing, dazed and tasted the smell of her drinks the night before in her breath. She pierced her eyes to see who was calling, pressed the ept button under Kelsey¡¯s beautiful face.


    ¡°Hey girl ¡­ Happy New Year!!¡± her usual cheerful voice greeted her, then her dazzling morning look was visible on her screen.


    ¡°Hey babe, Happy New Year!¡± her hoarse voice surprised herself.


    ¡°Whoa ¡­ you looked like you had a pretty good night,¡± Kelseyughed. She was descending some stairs outside an unfamiliar house.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± Julie wiped her eyes and yawned.


    ¡°I had to crash at a friend¡¯s housest night ¡¯cause ¡­ well ¡­ you know,¡± she pressed her car rm, Julie heard the tweet.


    ¡°Who?¡± She was curious.


    Kelsey entered her car, sat on the driver¡¯s seat and took a deep breath, ¡°Zachary¡¯s ¡­ he held an after party at his ce, pretty much everyone crashed there,¡± she said without an ounce of guilt.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie rubbed her face and sighed, ¡°Kells ¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait ¡­ wait ¡­ before you say anything, I told Nathan about it, and he was okay with it,¡± she stopped her from going at her.


    ¡°What? You mean he knows about you and Zach?¡±


    ¡°No! He knew there was a party at Zach¡¯s and everyone was going to crash there including me,¡± Kelsey put her phone on it¡¯s handle and started to drive.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s even worse? Him agreeing to you staying at a guy¡¯s house that ¡­ I can¡¯t even say it out loud,¡± she lowered her voice.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep with himst night, Jules, I promise.¡±


    Kelsey¡¯s vague statement didn¡¯t fool her, but she wasn¡¯t going to start a fight. ¡°Okay, just leave it at that, Kells, have you talked to him today? He said he called you yesterday and voicemail.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I called him this morning ¡­ even showed him the room I was staying ¡­ by myself,¡± she said proudly.


    Julie sat up on her bed, her head felt a little heavy, ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much ¡­ other than he missed me, and that he had a great timest night with you and your date ¡­ when are you going to tell me about that, anyway?¡±


    Julie cringed, covered her face with one hand, ¡°It was hardly a date, he¡¯s a colleague at Ardor and he pretty much drank himself to sleepst night because I was having too much fun with the band ¡­ Oh God ¡­ I think he¡¯s still passed out in the living room.¡±


    Kelsey burst outughing, it was so loud she had to lower the volume, ¡°God, Jules ¡­ you really need to learn how to do these things or you¡¯ll never have a boyfriend ever again ¡­ ever!!¡±


    ¡°I know right? I¡¯m so bad at this ¡­ look, I gotta go, I have to check on him, I feel bad now that you mentioned it.¡±


    ¡°Okay ¡­ okay ¡­ I¡¯ll let you go, I¡¯m going back to the dorm anyways, call meter, babe, love ya¡¯.¡±


    Bits and pieces ofst night¡¯s fun wereing together in her head. Things always seemed more natural when alcohol is involved, when morninges, she starts to see things in a whole different perspective. Was it supposed to be a date? Why did Nathan say it was a date and she didn¡¯t even know it was one? And if he thought it was a date, why the hell did he kiss her on the lips in front of Andy? What? Why the hell did he kiss her on the lips, period?


    She tidied her hair and changed into jeans and T-shirt. Waking up after a long night of drinking and partying was not her best look. She stumbled out of her room, not sure what the scene would be like that morning. The first thing she heard was Nathan and Andy talking over breakfast in the dining area. She put on her best smile and greeted them.


    ¡°Good morning Rocker Girl ¡­ boy you really did had your funst night, didn¡¯t you?¡± said Nathan.


    Andy was sipping his coffee, his eyes sharply directed at her, ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°Good morning,¡± she replied as enthusiastic as she could with a mild hangover.


    ¡°Just in time for breakfast,¡± Nathan was preparing greasy breakfast sets for all three of them.


    ¡°So ¡­ how did you sleepst night?¡± Julie sat next to Andy and grabbed a fork.


    Heughed to conceal his embarrassment, followed by a nod. ¡°It was good actually, I slept like a baby ¡­ I don¡¯t remember much after the fireworks though, I¡¯m sorry you had to carry me all the way here.¡± He was almost blushing.


    Nathan sat in front of them with his te, ¡°Hey, no worries man, everyone¡¯s entitled to have fun once in a while ¡­ right, Julie?¡±


    Sheughed, the body surf was a lot of fun. Rock music was herfort zone, it frees her spirit. She didn¡¯t say anything to respond to it, but they looked at each other with a knowing smile.


    Andy cleared his throat, ¡°Let¡¯s dig in,¡± he ufortably broke the staring contest.


    He thoughtst night was awkward, he felt like a third wheel that morning just the same. He listened along in their conversation, smiled and nodded without being able to join in. Whatever he was nning to do with Julie was not happening for him. Especially when the day ended with Nathan sending him to an advanced Barista course in January,pletely cutting his shifts without the chance to work at the same hours as Julie for the next three months.

 Chapter 25 Nathan Knows

    Later that day, Nathan came back from Ardor and took her out to a seaside restaurant for an early dinner. It was one of his favorite spots on the ind where the sunset view was extraordinary and the coffee was excellent.


    They sat facing each other enjoying a te of oysters in garlic and lime for appetizers, ordered a grilled red snapper with mash potatoes and sd on the side for the main course. The ocean breeze blew out her hair and her light summer dress. The sunset reflected on her skin. They talked about the night before, all smiles andughing.


    ¡°I feel like I could stay here for the long run,¡± her eyes gazed at the ocean rolling it¡¯s waves towards the shores.


    Nathan turned and looked at where she was looking. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s why I chose this ind for Ardor, I can see myself living here for good too ¡­ it¡¯s like, you don¡¯t need a vacation to break away from your daily life.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, everyday is like a holiday,¡± she agreed.


    ¡°So ¡­ does that mean you¡¯ll continue working at Ardor after graduation?¡± he looked at her hopeful.


    She smiled and turned to look at him, ¡°I love Ardor ¡­ do you think I¡¯d make the cut? It¡¯s been a full month, you should evaluate me.¡±


    Nathan made a hand gesture as if he was blown away, ¡°Pffft ¡­ with flying colors ¡­ I could use your help to set up everything else I¡¯d like to start after this ¡­ I¡¯m pretty confident with the potential.¡±


    Julie smiled and nodded, ¡°Me too ¡­ I¡¯d love to work for you here, and I get to go to The Rockabillies every now and then..¡±


    He was beaming in delight, ¡°I¡¯d take you there anytime ¡­ oh and that book shopping you requested, I can take you there this week, you need to fill those shelves I¡¯ve prepared in your room¡±


    She giggled, she hadn¡¯t had the time to read a single book since she got there, she knew it was time to buy some books. She took a bite on her chocte cake dessert when a strand of hair blew over her face. Nathan reached for it and tucked them behind her ear. The look in his eyes made her look away, her heart pounded faster. The midnight kiss surfaced in her mind. It was supposed to be a friendly New Year¡¯s kiss, but it didn¡¯t feel like one. The warmth of his lips on hers, his thumb on her chin, she pretended it wasn¡¯t intimate. She felt his eyes looking at her even when she avoided them. He was starting to terrify her, not because of his gestures, but what she was starting to feel about him.


    ¡°She¡¯s cheating on me, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    His question halted her train of thoughts, pulling her gaze back at him. ¡°What?¡± She wasn¡¯t sure she heard correctly.


    ¡°With Zachary?¡± he added.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    She froze. He wasn¡¯t backing out, he waited for an answer.


    ¡°Nathan!¡± somebody called his name.


    They both looked for the source of the voice when a man came to their table.


    ¡°Hey man! Haven¡¯t seen you in awhile!¡± the man pped his hand and Nathan stood up to hug him.


    Lucas owned a high end restaurant on the ind, they talked for a while and Nathan introduced him to Julie. Nathan knew many people on the ind, he was around a lot. Bhorma was a small ind where you can bump into the same person twice in one day. She was saved by the encounter.


    After they finished, they were silent. He asked her if she wanted to go home, she said ¡®yes¡¯. They hopped on Nathan¡¯s motorbike and rode back to his vi without a single word exchanged. The day was almost dark, the long night before left them tired at the end of that day.


    She was about to enter the front door when he stopped her.


    ¡°Julie ¡­ if she is cheating on me, would you tell me?¡±


    Julie fidgeted on her feet, she couldn¡¯t look at him in the eyes. ¡°Why are you asking me this? I don¡¯t want to be in the middle of you two, you know that?¡±


    ¡°But you are in the middle of us ¡­ more than you know,¡± he said.


    The fidgeting stopped, she wasn¡¯t sure what he meant by that. ¡°You should take some time off and work things out with her, Nathan.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡±


    His stare made her look away again. ¡°It might answer your doubts and worries,¡± she said.


    ¡°I have doubts ¡­ but not worries ¡­ I don¡¯t even know what that means,¡± he furrowed his eyebrows, it was weighing in on him.


    ¡°She¡¯s my best friend in the whole world, we¡¯ve been that way since we were four ¡­ I love her ¡­ very much,¡± she cleared her throat, she felt the need to say it.


    ¡°I guess that answers my question?¡±


    She didn¡¯t respond to that, she didn¡¯t know what Nathan made out of what she just said. All she knew, she didn¡¯t want to stay in that conversation a minute longer. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to sleep now ¡­ I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°Good night.¡±


    There was a solemn look on his face. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to lie to him. The conversation left a bitter taste. She had seen how Nathan worked so hard for his restaurant, he hardly had any time to do anything else. He was keeping his end of the bargain. She had seen him calling and texting Kelsey just to check-in, most of the time he couldn¡¯t reach her. It felt so unfair, yet she couldn¡¯t tell him what was really going on. It was a simple ¡®yes¡¯ or ¡®no¡¯ question. In a way, she did answer his question.

 Chapter 26 The Bookstore

    She received her first paycheck from Ardor and knew exactly where she wanted to spend it. Nathan took her to the bookstore where she met Kelsey for the first time. She took a cart, knowing she will be buying more than a few books.


    She went straight to the Fiction shelves. She studied the covers, picked out the most interesting titles, read the synopsis and followed her gut instinct whether to put it in the cart or put it back on the shelves. She could do that for hours, while Nathan was in the Business section because that¡¯s what he was readingtely.


    She saw him reading by the store window. The sunlight prated the ss and made his skin look golden. He was looking down on his book, he pouted his lips. The world around him seemed to disappear, he wasn¡¯t aware of her watching him. He was like her when he read, she thought. She could spend hours in that store, and he wouldn¡¯t be bothered waiting for her.


    She turned to the Literature aisle, looked at the top shelves where all the dead poets lined up. She already owned most of the books. She tried to reach her favorite one but it was too high. A longer arm aimed for it from behind her, a scent of Nathan¡¯s cologne followed it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never read this one before,¡± he said standing really close to her.


    ¡°That¡¯s my favorite, I left it at home ¡­ I¡¯m thinking of buying another one, just in case.¡±


    Heughed, ¡°Just in case of what? But that¡¯s a good strategy though, always have a backup ¡­ I want to read this ¡­ I guess I¡¯ve found the culprit, this was exactly where I met Kelsey the first time, she was buying books for you, wasn¡¯t she?¡± he looked straight into her eyes.


    She shrugged with a smile, ¡°Guilty.¡±


    ¡°So ¡­ if you hade with her that summer, I would¡¯ve bumped into you instead of her?¡± he wondered.


    She pursed her lips, ¡°That¡¯s highly likely, this is a great store ¡­ but then you wouldn¡¯t be dating the hottest girl in Gastonburry.¡±


    He looked down, lost his smile, and let out a long exhale. ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m done here,¡± she said.


    He looked at her half full cart, ¡°Wow, that looks awesome, are you going to read them all in one night?¡±


    Sheughed, there were close to 20 books in her cart, ¡°That¡¯s for the whole month or maybe more ¡¯cause I need to do my report.¡±


    He grabbed the cart and took the poetry book that was going to be his new favorite, ¡°This will be my bonus for you, let¡¯s check-out.¡±


    ¡°What? I can¡¯t let you pay for that ¡­ that¡¯s a lot of books,¡± she refused.


    ¡°You deserve a bonus for all the work you put in, anyways, these books are going on my shelves, you won¡¯t be taking them back to Gastonburry, would you?¡± He had a point.


    ¡°I guess not.¡±


    ¡°Great, so that¡¯s settled ¡­ we¡¯ll have a reading fest tonight, I¡¯ll fix a nice dinner, we¡¯ll get some wine, we¡¯ll read, and then music, and then desert ¡­ and then we can talk about it ¡¯til sunrise ¡­ you know, a stay at home nerdy weekend,¡± he sounded excited.


    Sheughed, it sounded like a dream. It was something she would enjoy by herself, and now there¡¯s someone that enjoys it as much as she does. She remembered him saying, ¡®There¡¯s nothing sexier than a girl who reads.¡¯ Dido.


    **********


    Homemade gourmet looked so easy in Nathan¡¯s hands. She sat by the kitchen ind, reading one of their new books while cooked. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m liking this one, it¡¯s gonna be hard to put down,¡± a wide smile spread across her face. She was four chapters in, the story was already clutching her.


    ¡°Oh I know the kind ¡­ I wanna read that one too, no spoilers please,¡± he was seasoning his food, flipping his tools like a pro.


    Her face was covered by the book, eyes glued to the pages. Once in a while she made humming sounds, a chuckle or an exasperated sigh. He smiled amused, sshed some white wine to the fish, then poured some for himself and some for Julie. ¡°It¡¯s that good, huh?¡± he offered a toast. She quickly finished thest line, clinked her ss with Nathan¡¯s, then marked the book and closed it.


    ¡°It¡¯s really good,¡± she gulped her wine.


    Their eyes met. He wanted to tell her how much he loves looking at her getting lost in a story, but his face said it all.


    ¡°If you like suspense thrillers ¡­¡± she tapped on the book, ¡°This is the best I¡¯ve read in years ¡­ but I have to finish it to conclude the entirety of it, and then I¡¯ll tell you all about it.¡±


    Heughed, ¡°I¡¯m gonna read that right after you finish, do not attempt to spoil that for me ¡­ I¡¯m gonna read some romance after this, you know, to infuse a little romantic spirit into the tragic stricken love life of mine.¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on, long distance rtionships are not tragic, although, it is kind of sad to spend Friday night with a book nerd at home,¡± she giggled.


    ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s tragic, and this is not even close to sad ¡­ I actually prefer this than a noisy night life, and it¡¯s better withpany.¡±


    They clinked sses to that.


    They started eating while discussing books they¡¯ve read, their favorite authors, movie adaptations, and everything else other than their tragic love life. After dinner, they sat in the living room area with their book of choice, and spent afortable silence together. Commenting on what they were reading once in a while, and went back to it right after.


    He really did read a romance novel. He read only a selected few, he said. But nheless, he was reading it. Julie never came across a guy who reads as much as she does, a romance novel especially.


    Two hours into their reading session, his phone rang.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he picked up.


    She could tell from his tone, it was Kelsey.


    ¡°What?¡± he sounded surprised. He stood up from his reading position, and walked to the front door.


    ¡°Surprise!!¡± Kelsey¡¯s voice can be heard from the living room.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Oh my God! Hi!¡± Nathan replied.


    The silence that followed can only be assumed that they were kissing. She would¡¯ve jumped to wee her but she didn¡¯t want to interrupt their kiss.


    When she finally stormed into the living room, they hugged and screamed. ¡°I miss you so much! I thought I¡¯d crash into your ind weekend here and get a taste of that New Year¡¯s party I missed,¡± Kelsey said with twinkles in her eyes. She looked around and saw all the books and wine bottles, ¡°Wow ¡­ you two are really going all the way tonight, aren¡¯t you?¡± sheughed.


    Julie nced at Nathan who was standing idle by the dining table, unsure of what he needed to do.


    ¡°You want some wine, Kells?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, I could use a pre-drink,e on let¡¯s get dressed and go to that rock n¡¯ roll bar you told me about,¡± she took the ss from Nathan¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Now?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Sure ¡­ why not? I dide all this way for the weekend, Gastonburry was a bit dull ¡­ so I thought I would pay a visit to my hot boyfriend and let him take me out on an ind nightlife,¡± she came over to Nathan and kissed him.


    ¡°Yeah ¡­ I think you should catch up and check out The Rockabillies ¡­ or other bars you might like, I¡¯m just gonna stay home and read tonight,¡± Julie said. Nathan gave her a sharp disagreeing look.


    ¡°Yeah, babe, let¡¯s get out and have some fun, a little dancing, some ind cocktails, and then wee back and catch up some more,¡± she bit her lower lip and ran her hand under his shirt. She caught his lips and engulfed them in her kiss, Julie looked away.


    ¡°Julie, you sure you don¡¯t want toe?¡± he tried.


    ¡°No, you guys go ahead and have fun ¡­ I¡¯m just gonna finish this one and drink all your wine,¡± she lifted her book with a grin.


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t mind her, she won¡¯t put down her book even if it¡¯s the end of the world,¡± Kelsey pressed herself against Nathan, he couldn¡¯t possibly say ¡®no¡¯ to her after she took an eight hour flight just to spend the weekend with him.


    ¡°Okay ¡­ let me change first,¡± he took her hands out of his shirt and went to his room.


    ¡°Did Preston tell you I wasing?¡± Kelsey threw herself by her side.


    ¡°No, I was as surprised as Nathan was.¡±


    ¡°Good, I told him not to tell you, he said if he called you he would definitely slip up, so he wants you to call him after I get here.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not out clubbing on a Friday night?¡±


    ¡°Nope, he¡¯s waiting for your call ¡­ he¡¯s been broodingtely, it¡¯s annoying, he¡¯s not much fun without you.¡±


    Nathan came out of his room in a long sleeve shirt pulled to the elbow. He wore his favorite washed out jeans and smelled like a Friday night. His eyes fell to Julie¡¯s, hoping she would change her mind or begged him not to go.


    ¡°Great! Let¡¯s go!¡± Kelsey jumped to her feet.


    11 PM Friday night was her best time. Nathan looked down, there was no chance he was getting out of this one.


    ¡°Have fun guys! I won¡¯t wait up!¡± Julie waived at them.


    ¡°Thanks babe, we¡¯ll catch up tomorrow, ¡®kay?¡± Kelsey kissed her cheek.


    Nathan didn¡¯t even say his goodbye, just a simple waive and a disappointed look on his face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to call Preston,¡± Kelsey added as she slipped her arm around Nathan¡¯s.


    Julie caught a look from Nathan¡¯s eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± she said.


    They stepped out and Nathan mmed the door just a little too hard.

 Chapter 27 Love Another

    She closed her book right after they left. Poured some more wine in her ss. The silence was loud. It used to beforting, that night, she felt alone. She stepped out of the balcony with her book still clutched between her arm and her waist, white wine in her left hand. Once in a while, in these kinds of nights, she feels there¡¯s something missing in her life.


    She didn¡¯t feel it very often, that empty space inside. Sometimes she filled it with books, sometimes with music. More often than not, Kelsey made her forget there was even a space to fill. Preston never failed to turn up whenever she needed him, andtely there was Nathan who started to feel more and more like someone that fits the mold.


    Spending so much time with Nathan for the past month made her forget that he was Kelsey¡¯s boyfriend. The dozens of times their eyes met, she wished she didn¡¯t feel that tingle in her stomach, but she did. She looked away every time, but Nathan seemed to be able to draw her back in. She liked that. The worst would be that night, when her fantasy was abruptly stopped as reality crashed in and took Nathan away for a night out on that fabulous ind.


    She let out a long surrendering breath,id back on the lounger, and dialed her phone for a video call. Those dark blue eyes, under longshes brought back a smile on her face. Preston wasying face down on his bed, a good close up on his beautiful face brightened up her gloomy mood.


    ¡°Staying in on a Friday night? I never thought I¡¯d see this day,¡± they didn¡¯t need a ¡®hello¡¯.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been busy working on my music, I¡¯m at home, actually ¡­ the dorm was too much of a distraction,¡± he pointed the camera around his room and went back to his face.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, how is iting?¡±


    ¡°Great, actually, being so miserable without you had turned on my creative juice,¡± he said.


    She smiledzily, ¡°That¡¯s good, I miss you too.¡±


    ¡°So when are youing back?¡±


    She chuckled, ¡°End of February, I told you ten times already, it¡¯s a three month internship.¡±


    ¡°I know, I was hoping something had changed ¡­ I¡¯m so lonely without you to tease around here,¡± he exhaled andid on his back with the camera still on his face. ¡°So I guess Kelsey is in there banging Nathan in his room, huh?¡± he continued.


    ¡°Eeew ¡­ don¡¯t put that in my head ¡­ no, they¡¯re out clubbing, I guess she¡¯s done with Zach, finally?¡± Julie covered her face with one hand.


    Preston had a smirk on his face, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask her yourself?¡±


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t think she¡¯s done with him? I haven¡¯t had a real conversation with her ¡­ I guess I can ask her tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°If anything, I think she thinks Nathan is cheating on her, that¡¯s why she flew over there,¡± Preston¡¯s eyes pierced through the camera.


    ¡°Nathan? With who? I¡¯ve never seen him with another girl around here before,¡± she was puzzled.


    Preston raised his brows, ¡°Jules ¡­ the only person who doesn¡¯t think that Nathan might have some feelings for you is probably ¡­ you.¡±


    It struck her like a bolt of thunder, she couldn¡¯t find the words to say.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t have to tell me, it¡¯s a guy thing, I guess, it was pretty obvious to me ¡­ it¡¯s pretty harmless, unless ¡­¡± Preston stopped to see her response.


    She looked at him through the lens, unable to confirm nor deny what he was saying. She pursed her lips, ¡°I think I¡¯m in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Jules ¡­ I was afraid something like this would happen.¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°No ¡­ nothing is happening, I would never ¡­ it¡¯s crazy, I¡¯m just a little lonely, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Preston was silent, his curiosity had turned to disappointment.


    ¡°I have a lot of work to do here, I haven¡¯t started my report yet, I can focus on that ¡­ I¡¯ve been spending too much time with him, that¡¯s why, right?¡±


    Preston lifted her eyebrows, ¡°Yeah ¡­ that¡¯s probably it.¡± He cleared his throat.


    She finished the rest of her wine and went inside to pour some more. ¡°So let me hear the new stuff you¡¯re making.¡±


    Preston took out his guitar and put his phone on a holder, he lost his smilepletely. He was almost frowning. He adjusted his guitar, his hair fell over his face and he tucked them behind his ear. ¡°No one¡¯s heard this one before, it¡¯s not done yet ¡­ but I¡¯m liking the progress, are you ready?¡± he wet his lips.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it,¡± she was back in the balcony with a full ss. He strummed his guitar and started singing. She loved his voice, she loved his singing, and she loved it when he sang to her.


    ¡°She¡¯s in my bed ¡­ and I¡¯m thinking of you


    Myte night loves are getting old


    But I really don¡¯t want nothing new


    I¡¯m no good at this


    Never knew how to do this


    One thing that sticks around is


    The way you felt on my lips


    You held my hand, said we¡¯re friends


    Then tell me lightly that you love anotherExclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Hold my hand, don¡¯t be a friend


    ¡¯cause I don¡¯t think I can handle it


    If you love another¡±


    He wrote many songs about her, but this one hits home because he just made out the lyrics as he went along.


    ¡°I love it ¡­ how long did you write that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been writing the melody for a few days now, but the lyrics ¡­ I came up with it just now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t love him Preston, I just ¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t let her finish, ¡°If it¡¯s not him, there would be someone else ¡­ it¡¯s just the same to me.¡±


    He didn¡¯t even bother to hide his jealousy. What they had was great butplicated. Preston let out a long sigh, ¡°No ¡­ I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s not fair ¡­ you¡¯ve always been there for me through all my messed up rtionships ¡­ it¡¯s just that, you¡¯ve never been with anyone since I¡¯ve known you, I have to learn how to do this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not even ¡®WITH¡¯ anyone,¡± she rubbed her face in distress.


    ¡°But you will ¡­ someday ¡­ so what are you gonna do about it, Jules?¡±


    She hugged her knees and sipped on her wine, ¡°Nothing ¡­ I just wanna talk to you right now, I really need yourpany tonight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± he smiled.


    If he was there, she would have her back leaning against him, she would be listening to his guitar ying, or he would take her out on a walk, making herugh throughout the night. Even with all the girls that came and went, he always made her feel special. It was never easy for her to see him with another, but he always came back to her. That¡¯s how she knew their bond was more than just friends, even more than lovers. Now it was Preston¡¯s turn to keep his end of the bargain, even though there¡¯s nothing he wanted more than to fly over to her and changed her mind.

 Chapter 28 Breakfast With Kelsey

    They talked until she finished the whole bottle of wine, and then some more. It was almost 3 AM when she fell asleep on her bed and Preston was the one who pressed the red button. She slept through the night, thest memory of the night was Preston¡¯s voice talking to her.


    She felt a little sore in her throat when she woke up. She went out to the pantry to get some water with a mild headache. She jumped and spilled some water when she turned and found Nathan leaning against the corridor wall staring at her.


    ¡°Good morning, did you finish that bookst night?¡± He looked fresh and not the least bit hungover.


    ¡°No ¡­ actually, I was on the phone with Preston ¡¯tilte,¡± she replied.


    He pressed his lips together, ¡°That exins the empty bottles, how is he?¡± he pretended to care.


    She lifted her shoulders, ¡°He¡¯s okay ¡­ how was your night? Did you guys have fun?¡±


    He walked over to the pantry and got himself a ss of water, ¡°She did ¡­ we went to The Sky Bar, and then The Blue mingo, ¡­ and then The Rainbow Room.¡±


    They chuckled, it sounded like a regr Friday with Kelsey.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look like you had much to drinkst night?¡±


    ¡°No, I had to drive, remember?¡± he stood closer to her.


    She nodded with a smile.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you let me go like thatst night, you could¡¯ve at leaste or dyed it ¡¯til you cane,¡± he protested.


    ¡°I figured you wanted to have an alone time with Kelsey.¡±


    He looked at her in silence. Her heart began to throb. His bedroom door was opened and Kelsey trotted out of the room, half naked under her sheer thin night robe. Her full breasts were visible, stunning as she always was. ¡°Good morning,¡± her voice soared.


    ¡°Good morning, wow ¡­ you look hammered,¡± Juliemented on her messed up hair and her barely opened eyes.


    Kelsey sat on the ind stool, blew a strand of hair that was covering her face, ¡°I love this ind ¡­ I love those cheap drinks ¡­ and I love the endless choice of bars ¡­ we should go again tonight.¡±


    Nathanughed softly, ¡°Not with me ¡­ I had enough bars for the whole week.¡±


    Kelsey frowned and turned her attention to Julie.


    ¡°Oh no ¡­ I¡¯m starting my report tonight, we can go out for breakfast and coffee? They have killer breakfast spots around here too,¡± Julie said.


    ¡°Whoa ¡­ you even started to sound like each other now,¡± Kelseymented, the room went quiet. She sighed, ¡°Fine ¡­ breakfast then, we¡¯ll just stay in tonight then.¡±


    ¡°You girls go ahead and catch up, I¡¯ve got some stuff to look at Ardor ¡­ just let me know what you¡¯ll be doingter,¡± he kissed Kelsey on the forehead. He knew better than to tag along.


    **********


    They had a quiet meal under the Bhorma morning sky. Light breeze from the ocean, serenaded by the sound of the waves and seagulls. Hot coffee with egg breakfast and sd on the side. Kelsey in her beach clothes, her new Bottega shades while Julie in her work attire because she had to be at Ardorter that day.


    It felt like forever that they haven¡¯t really talked to each other. A few phone calls and a text here and there was not nearly adequate to the amount of time they spend together at the dorm. The closer they are to graduation, the closer they are to be living apart after so many years they¡¯ve spent together.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Tell me the truth ¡­ are you still seeing Zach?¡±


    It caught her off guard, she tried to dodge the bullet but realized it was useless. Kelsey let out a long sigh, ¡°Yes ¡­ and no ¡­ I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s on and off, you know? It wasn¡¯t supposed tost this long ¡­ but I found myself drawn to him again and again.¡±


    Julie grunted, ¡°And Nathan? What about him? He¡¯s not supposed tost this long either.¡±


    ¡°Nathan¡¯s different,¡± Kelsey paused. ¡°I want it tost with him.¡±


    Julie nced at her in disbelief, ¡°I think he knows about Zach.¡±


    Kelsey¡¯s jaw dropped, ¡°What did he say? But ¡­ how did he know?¡±


    ¡°He asked me straight if you were cheating on him with Zach.¡±


    Kelsey gasped, ¡°What did you tell him?¡±


    ¡°I said I didn¡¯t know what he was talking about ¡­ I told you to get rid of Zach, I mean, people can sense these kinds of things,¡± Julie was upset, she was one to know.


    Kelsey held her head with both hands, ¡°Urrrgh ¡­ that exins why he was reluctant to sleep with mest night.¡±


    Julie raised an eyebrow, ¡°You didn¡¯t sleep with himst night?¡±


    Kelsey took off her sunsses, a wicked smile emerged on her face, she tilted her shoulder one way, ¡°I had my ways ¡­ of course we did.¡±


    Julie rolled her eyes and chuckled, it was a mixed emotion she didn¡¯t really know how to put it.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t ask me anything, he seemed a little distant all night, and then it took some effort to get him to bed ¡­ it was unusual, I thought, he had another girl or something?¡± Kelsey¡¯s eyes pierced at Julie.


    Julie was chewing on her bacon like it was nobody¡¯s business, ¡°What? Another girl? ¡­ No ¡­ there¡¯s nobody.¡±


    ¡°You would tell me if there is?¡± she made sure.


    ¡°Of course ¡­ you know, he asked me the same thing, hepletely put me in the spot and I hated that ¡­ and I hate you for doing this to me,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jules ¡­ you know how it is with me ¡­¡± she reached for Julie¡¯s hand with a remorseful look. ¡°I¡¯m trying ¡­ I really want this to work with Nathan, this long distance thing is hard,¡± she exined.


    ¡°Try harder, he¡¯s a good guy,¡± Julie said in a low voice.


    ¡°I know he is, sometimes I think I don¡¯t deserve him.¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t respond to that.


    ¡°How can I convince him? More sex? Do you think?¡±


    Julie squeezed her hand, ¡°Dump Zach, that¡¯s how, ¡­ please, Kells, do it for me.¡± She meant every word from the bottom of her heart. Her serious expression caught Kelsey¡¯s attention. She wanted Kelsey and Nathan¡¯s rtionship to work out, despite what¡¯s growing inside her. She was unsure of why Nathan was acting the way he did towards her, his suspicions over Kelsey¡¯s infidelity could be a trigger, and that needed to stop.


    ¡°You¡¯re right ¡­ of course ¡­ I¡¯ll end it with Zach, I promise, we¡¯re just ying around, he knows about Nathan ¡­ he doesn¡¯t care, you know? It¡¯s that kind of thing, and it¡¯s hard to stop because we always end up finding each other again and ¡­ it¡¯s just sex.¡±


    It¡¯s that phrase again, something unfamiliar to her, yet very often heard. ¡°It¡¯s one or the other, Kells, you can¡¯t have both.¡±

 Chapter 29 The Kitchen Incident

    When he saw her on the other side of his door, his heart fell. She was a sight for sore eyes, for sure, but her being there meant his night was taking an unexpected turn. He was enjoying his night too much for any altercation. A few drinks and three barster, he still thought his night would¡¯ve been better at home.


    His heart and his mind was saying one thing, but his body couldn¡¯t resist her. He knew she wasn¡¯t faithful to him, even though he hasn¡¯t got any proof yet, but her behavior was sending all the signs. He knew he didn¡¯t have half much fun being with her than being with Julie, but Kelsey was still his girlfriend. If he ended it with Kelsey for no apparent reason, he would¡¯vee out as a jerk, and lose his friendship with Julie as a result.


    So when they were back at his vi, in his bedroom, despite all the scenarios he had yed in his head, he sumbed to his bodily weakness. It was easy, it was quick, and it was good. The regret that cameter was pretty much useless and unnecessary. He made love to his girlfriend while there¡¯s another girl in his mind. Just like so many others do.


    He busied himself at Ardor the morning after, tried to steer clear from the two besties who were catching up and reconnecting. It will never be the same again to have a casual conversation with Kelsey and Julie, not with how sure he was with his feelings then. When they came to Ardor, he focused on his work, left Kelsey to mingle with his employees and Julie worked on herptop.


    Before he knew it, he heard loudughs between Kelsey and her new friends, and the day ended with her going to the clubs with them. Julie locked herself in her room to draft her report while he took a book and overslept on the couch.


    *********


    The days after Kelsey left were not much different. Her visit was like a wake up call for the both of them. They find ways to distance themselves from each other and upy their minds with distractions. Hoping the things they feel for each other would slowly fade away.


    With every brush of skin, idental touches, and innocent gaze, the task gets much harder. The coffee breaks they shared, the books they read, words that came out of their mouths sat well with one another. The more they tried to stay away, the more they wanted to get closer.


    It was close to midnight, Ardor had been closed since 10 PM. Julie was doing her report in the office, Nathan was still working on his new recipe in the kitchen. Everyone else had gone home. She sat back on her chair and checked her watch. She closed herptop and went to the kitchen.


    She folded her arms in front of her watching Nathan decorated his food. Everything was misced, she was staring at an hour of cleaning at the very least.


    ¡°I was wondering if you were done ¡­ I guess not?¡± she startled him.


    ¡°What time is it?¡±


    ¡°A little after twelve.¡±


    ¡°Really? I lost track of time, these things took some time to master ¡­e and try this, I¡¯m finally done with it but I need your taste bud, give me an honest review,¡± he made a hand gesture for her toe closer.


    ¡°That looks incredible ¡­ what are those?¡±


    Nathan had neatly ted the desert on the kitchen table. ¡°These are tiny balls of heaven ¡­ not that I will name them that,¡± heughed. ¡°Chocte base, obviously, filled with liquid gourmet coffee also mixed with a little bit of chocte ¡­ the other one is filled with oozing red syrup, a mixture of rum and strawberry ¡­ and some other stuff I put in with different techniques.¡± He went on exining every delicious detail he put in the desert. He made an apanying red sauce that he drizzled on the te. He cut through one of the balls, the liquid oozed out of it and looked as beautiful as a desert could look.


    He scooped the piece with his spoon and fed it to her. She took it all in, and let it dissolved in her mouth. Her eyes widened, she devoured it slowly and let the mixture of taste explode in her palette. Nathan waited for herment, but she just couldn¡¯t open her mouth to do anything other than savoring the wonderful pleasure she¡¯s having inside.


    She opened her palm as a sign for him to wait, and then she started tough. ¡°Oh my God, how many did you make?¡±


    ¡°A few ¡­ maybe five or six of each,¡± he was still waiting for her review.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna have to taste some more, just to be sure, you know? Where are they?¡± she peeked over the table.


    ¡°Well ¡­ are they good?¡± he was curious.


    ¡°Have you tasted these?¡± she asked.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No, I just finished when you came in.¡±


    Julie furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head, ¡°Oh they¡¯re terrible ¡­ that¡¯s why I need to be sure, I have to take another bite, and then I want to try another one, see if they¡¯re consistent,¡± she scooped the rest of the chocte ball.


    ¡°Terrible? You¡¯re not serious, are you?¡± He opened the fridge and took out the other balls he made, he was going to take a bite himself when Julie yanked the te off his hand.


    ¡°No ¡­ those are mine, you¡¯re gonna have to make more if you want to try it.¡± She took one from the te and shoved it in her mouth.


    Nathan rested his hand on his waist, and pointed at her with another. ¡°I see what you¡¯re doing, so I guess it¡¯s that good, huh?¡± he had a wide smile on his face.


    She lifted her eyebrows and nodded, ¡°I have never tasted anything this good in my entire life.¡± She took another ball and put it inside her mouth.


    ¡°How¡¯s the texture? Is it moist enough? The coffee? Is it thick enough?¡±


    She raised her palm and shook her head, ¡°I can¡¯t exin in detail, this is just really really really good, is that a good enough review?¡± She was talking with her mouth full.


    ¡°No ¡­ I have to taste it then, I need the details to see if it needs fixing or adjustment.¡± He walked over to Julie, but she stepped away to avoid him. ¡°Julie ¡­ can you at least give me one? So I know what it tastes like?¡± They started to circle the kitchen table.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know ¡­ maybe ¡­¡± she looked at the te, there were two more left. She took one, and ate it. ¡°You know ¡­ it¡¯s better if you make some more tomorrow, and then everyone can taste it.¡± She put the te on the table and took thest piece with her hand.


    ¡°Do you know how long it takes to make them? Please tell me you¡¯re giving that to me?¡±


    They stood across with each other, he stared at her half amused.


    ¡°If I eat thisst one, does that mean you¡¯re gonna have to make more tomorrow? she had a yful look on her face.


    Nathan put both hands on his waist, he was going to y her game. ¡°If you eat thatst one ¡­ I¡¯m gonna have to take it out of your mouth.¡±


    Julie looked serious, she thought for a moment. ¡°No ¡­ you wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    He leaned forward against the table, ¡°You want to try it and find out?¡±


    Her heart was racing, she didn¡¯t think it through. She held thest piece in her hand, and walked slowly to her left. Nathan was ready for the chase. She barely took three steps away when Nathan sprinted over to her and grabbed her by the waist. She screamed andughed before he turned her around.


    ¡°Give me back my ball!¡±


    That made herugh even louder. She held the ball high as he tried to reach it but he kept dodging his hand. At some point, his eyes fell on hers. She didn¡¯t know how tempted he was to kiss her, but she felt it in his stare. She was terrified when he leaned his face closer to her, then she shoved thest piece of chocte into his mouth. The look of shock on his face was priceless. She covered her mouth with one hand, but couldn¡¯t prevent herugh from spilling out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡± still trying to control herugh.


    He chewed on the ball with an annoyed expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡± she was stillughing at him.


    ¡°You know I could¡¯ve choked?¡± he attempted to make her feel guilty.


    She tapped on his chest, still couldn¡¯t stop herughing. ¡°You should see the look on your face.¡± She looked over her shoulder and realized Nathan¡¯s arms were still wrapped around her waist.


    He wasn¡¯t going to let her go. His mind was racing, it was the closest he had ever been with her, and he didn¡¯t want it to end.


    Their eyes met. They were silent this time. Her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest.


    ¡°Nathan ¡­ I think we should go now,¡± she said.


    He paused. He tried to process it. He wanted to say ¡®no¡¯, but he let go of her instead.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you clean this out,¡± she was back, being casual.


    Nathan looked down and drew a long breath, something was stuck in his stomach, and he couldn¡¯t get it out. He didn¡¯t say a word. Not in the kitchen, and not in the car all the way back to his vi.

 Chapter 30 I鈥檓 Coming On Valentine鈥檚 Day

    It was something they never spoke about again after that night. Just like the kiss on New Year¡¯s Eve. It was better to pretend that it was nothing.


    She worked on her report diligently. She worked for Ardor equally hard. She drafted their financial report, calcted their taxes, and managed their social media ounts. She designed their digital marketing campaign, she was doing everything. And he was growing more dependent on her, professionally, and personally.


    He built another shelf for her. He organized all her books on the old shelf, and was going to take her out on another book shopping spree. Two months into her internship, he can hardly remember what life was like before her.


    Kelsey had been calling him more frequently. She talked about her feelings more openly towards him. He found himself numbed, unable to return her affections. She cheated on him, he was sure of that, but he didn¡¯t even care anymore. He couldn¡¯t break up with her on the phone, he was not that kind of person. But he found it hard to make time to fly to Gastonburry just to end things with her.


    ¡°I¡¯ming over for Valentine¡¯s Day,¡± Kelsey said on the phone.


    ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ that¡¯s awesome, Kells.¡± He hasn¡¯t called her ¡®Babe¡¯ in awhile.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you in advance so you have time to prepare for a very romantic celebration, it¡¯s our first Valentine together,¡± her voice was seductive.


    He pinched his upper nose, he¡¯s not the guy who would break up on their first Valentine either.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Kelsey checked on a response.


    ¡°Sorry, I was checking on my email ¡­ of course, Kells, it¡¯s one more week, I¡¯ll figure something out,¡± his response was cold and uninviting.


    ¡°Well ¡­ okay then, you seemed busy, I¡¯ll call againter, bye babe ¡­ I miss you.¡±


    He paused, ¡°Bye, Kells.¡± He hung up.


    **********


    ¡°Is everything okay with Nathan?¡± Kelsey called Julie right after.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s fine, why¡¯d you ask?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, he seemed ¡­ distanttely, I just got off the phone with him, I told him I¡¯ming over for Valentine¡¯s weekend and he just ¡­ meh ¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great Kells, I¡¯m d you¡¯re patching things up with him,¡± Julie said spontaneously.


    ¡°Exactly, I was hoping something like that from him, but he sounded like he wasn¡¯t looking forward to it,¡± her frown can almost be heard over the phone.


    ¡°Really? Maybe he¡¯s got a lot on his mind, work and everything,¡± Julie tried to ease her mind.


    Kelsey sighed, ¡°Maybe ¡­ well ¡­ I¡¯m just letting you know I finally broke it off with Zach a couple of weeks ago, I didn¡¯t tell you earlier ¡¯cause I want to be absolutely sure, and I¡¯m sure, Jules ¡­ I¡¯m choosing Nathan, I¡¯ming over for Valentine and I¡¯m going to sex him up like he never been sexed before, and I¡¯m gonna smother him with all of me until he choked on me and ¡­¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Julieughed, ¡°Okay ¡­ I get it ¡­ spare me the details, that¡¯s great Kells, I¡¯m d you¡¯ve finallye to your senses, he¡¯s a great guy ¡­ I don¡¯t think anyone could ask for a better guy,¡± her voice was lower at the end.


    It was finally over. She didn¡¯t have to worry about ying cat and mouse with Nathan anymore. She felt like a heavy burden had been lifted off her shoulders, but at the same time, it left her feeling hollowed again.


    ¡°He is, isn¡¯t he? Well ¡­ in the meantime, keep an eye on him for me, will ya¡¯? ¡¯cause I¡¯m not letting him slip to another woman if he hasn¡¯t already ¡­ he sounded pretty cold, it¡¯s weird.¡±


    Julie couldn¡¯t help but associate it with how he was behaving towards her, ¡°I will.¡±


    She hung up the phone feeling like she just finished reading a good book. A bittersweet end of something that made her feel alive, but it¡¯s over now. She turned around, her heart skipped a beat. Nathan was standing behind her, leaning against the door frame with a somber look on his face.


    ¡°Was it Kelsey?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah ¡­ she¡¯sing next week,¡± she was telling him what he already knew.


    He walked over and sat on his office chair in front of her. ¡°She told me,¡± he confirmed.


    Kelsey was right, he didn¡¯t seem too eager about it. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± she had to ask.


    His eyes turned to hers, ¡°No ¡­ nothing¡¯s wrong ¡­ she wanted me to n something nice for Valentine¡¯s Day, any idea what she would like?¡±


    Julie looked at him stunned. He was doing it on purpose. She lifted her shoulders, ¡°Something romantic? A getaway, perhaps?¡±


    ¡°You think she¡¯d like that?¡± his expression was unreadable.


    She wasn¡¯t going to stay for the torture, she stood up and forced a smile. ¡°Any girl would like a romantic getaway ¡­ I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll think of something,¡± she said with a sour tone and left the room.


    Her heart sank. She didn¡¯t think she would feel the sadness that came over her after that conversation with Nathan. She thought she had just finished reading a good book, as it turned out, it was only a really bad chapter. What was going on between them was real, at least for her. It left her feeling like a jerk to have growing feelings for an absolutely terrific guy who happened to be her best friend¡¯s boyfriend.


    She asked to leave early that afternoon. She took a stroll on the beach to collect her thoughts. Whatever she was feeling towards Nathan was wrong, it should never be acted upon. If she was going to work for Ardor for the long run, she had to get herself together, and keep it professional. In a way, she felt like she had already betrayed her best friend, when her feelings for him were growing and hurting her at the same time.

 Chapter 31 Let鈥檚 Make That Video

    He watched her from Ardor¡¯s balcony that afternoon. He had to do something about it, because it was slowly driving him crazy. Wanting to be with her as much as he did and not being able to touch her, or even say anything about it to her.


    She felt it too, he was sure of it, but she was too good to do anything about it. He had to do it the right way, and there was no right way to do it. She was already avoiding him after that call from Kelsey. She went on a stroll by herself all afternoon, and locked herself in her bedroom when he came home. No matter what he¡¯ll do, the chance of losing her is there.


    He couldn¡¯t sleep that night. He went back and forth to the front of her door. He wanted to knock but changed his mind, twice. Heid awake on his bed, stared at the ceiling, figuring out ways to make it work. He thought about it until his head hurt, there was no way around it.


    **********


    He prepared breakfast the next morning. A simple grilled sandwich, topped with poached egg and sd on the side. It tasted like somethinging out of a five star restaurant. The coffee was exactly how she liked it. He was all smiles, there was no trace of tension that was resting on his face the day before.


    ¡°This looks fabulous ¡­ what¡¯s the asion?¡± Julie¡¯s stomach was growling, she skipped dinnerst night.


    ¡°I actually need a favor from you ¡­ I¡¯m gonna be honest, that¡¯s the asion,¡± he said.


    She smiled as she sat on the ind stool, she took a napkin, ¡°Okay ¡­ what is it?¡±


    ¡°I need you to take over Ardor for me today, ¡¯cause I need to do something the entire day.¡±


    She nced at him, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    He handed her a knife and fork, and sat across from her. ¡°You know that video that I wanted to make? We haven¡¯t really had the time to do it, I know we¡¯ve been caught up with logistics and everything,¡± he exined.


    ¡°Of course ¡­ you wanna do that now?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking we can do it tomorrow, I always had this spot in mind where I want to do it ¡­ but I have to make arrangements to go there.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Sounds great, I think we should start doing that, we can take as much footage as we can and cut them into short videos for more content.¡±


    His face glowed, ¡°Exactly, it¡¯s a really cool ce, so there¡¯s a lot of spots where we can shoot from many different angles ¡­ awesome.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    And just like that, they jumped back into work.

 Chapter 32 Welcome To Uomo

    Nathan asked her to pack light, but prepared a few outfits just in case they got wet. So she packed a few change of clothes and a beach towel. It seemed like Nathan wanted to do the video by the water. It¡¯s a remote area where not many people know, it¡¯s barely touched by tourists.


    They packed up all the equipment needed in one giant backpack. Nathan stuffed his seasonings in a duffle bag. They made it as light as possible, but it was quite some baggage. They rode on a pick up truck that came to take them to the beach. Julie chose to ride on the back, Nathan joined her and leaned on their stuff while enjoying the scenery along the way.


    She filmed their trip across the ind when they passed the paddy fields, through narrow roads in viges, sometimes rocky roads by local farms where there were cows and goats fed on the green grass. She turned her camera to Nathan who at some point fell asleep. The trip to the beach took almost four hours only to find out that they had to take a motor boat to cross the water for another two hours.


    She put on her sunblock generously. It was almost 11 AM when they jumped on the small boat and carefully ced their belongings not to get wet from the sshing water. Julie was not a fan of small boats, she wasn¡¯t a very good swimmer, and the wobbly movement of the boat made her nervous. She hugged her knees, tried to stay still as much as she could. Her face was pale, she closed her eyes whenever the boat jumped against the wave.


    Nathan took her hand, pressed it between his hands. ¡°It¡¯s okay, we¡¯ll be there soon ¡­ you¡¯ll be fine.¡± His words wereforting, but not as much as his hands were. She wanted to take it back, but she needed it more than she wanted to avoid it.


    When they finally arrived, she shook off her nerves that piled inside of her for two hours. The white sand beach looked almost pink. It was smooth without any trace of footsteps as far as the eyes can see. A few hundred meters ahead were wooden stairs leading up to wooden cottages a hundred meters apart from each other. The cottages were lined up neatly facing the ocean. It was a resort ind with only 10 cottages to amodate visitors at a time. They were the only ones there at the time.


    ¡°Wee to Uomo,¡± Nathan said with a wide smile.


    The boat driver took their stuff off the boat, he was getting ready to leave.


    ¡°He¡¯s leaving?¡± Julie was surprised. Given the time it took to get there, it dawned on her that they might need to stay the night.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be back to pick us up tomorrow,¡± Nathan said casually.


    A local came running from behind one of the cottages to help them out with their baggage. She was half wet from the boat ride and her skin was burnt. The sun was right above their heads in the clear blue sky, the fresh breeze blew her hair against the wind. She doesn¡¯t let her hair down very often, it had grown all the way to her waist. It was a beautiful ce, but Nathan was admiring something else that was more beautiful in his eyes.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s put our bags in the cottage and then we¡¯ll get something to eat,¡± he said.


    She followed his footsteps, mesmerized by her surroundings. Everywhere she looked, she saw the pureness of the ind. She thought of ways they can make a really good video out of it. The fact that they were going to spend the night there was in the back of her mind.


    The cottage was only one big room with different sections used for different functions. There was one sliding door on the right of the entrance to divide the room from the bathroom. There were two mattresses on the floor opposite from each other, a doorway to the veranda, facing the ocean where they came from.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    She leaned against the wooden railing in the veranda, it was even prettier from a higher ground. The trees by the beach were equipped with swings and some with hammocks where people could climb up and use them. Small row boats lined up on the far side of the beach. Local fishermen use them to catch fishes, lobsters and other delicacies for visitors to dine fresh out of water.


    ¡°This ce is a gem ¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of it before,¡± Julie said to Nathan who joined her in the veranda.


    ¡°It¡¯s fairly new, not many people know about it, it¡¯s very small and the locals don¡¯t want it to be swarmed by tourists ¡­ ten cottages are enough to add to the ind¡¯s revenue, mainly to support their health care and water supplies,¡± he seemed to know much about the ind.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been here before?¡±


    ¡°Twice ¡­ this would be my third, are you hungry? We should record everything we do here, it would make interesting content.¡±


    ¡°It sure would,¡± she agreed.


    She recorded everything from following the fisherman catching their soon to be seafood, to the process of cleaning them. Nathan cooked, seasoned, and ted everything by the beach. Half naked and wet, his toned muscles made him look more like a swimmer than a chef. The wind was a bit of a problem, but they learned by doing. They video the locals when they took coconuts straight from the tree and cut them open for their drinks.


    It was a real ind experience, different from Bhorma where it¡¯s already modernized with luxurious resorts, cafes and high end restaurants. Everything in Uomo was still very much like how the locals do it. There was very little electricity supply on the ind, they can only charge their equipment one at a time. They use oilmps and torches at night for lights, and also bonfires.


    They sat by the fire to check on the footage they¡¯ve taken. ¡°I don¡¯t want to mention the location, I think we should keep it private,¡± Julie said while ying the video.


    ¡°Yeah, I think you¡¯re right, people will ruin it, we¡¯ll just say it¡¯s Bhorma.¡±


    She felt his breath in her ear, it made her nervous. She kept going with the video, tried to ignore that Nathan was leaning closer and closer as they went. She pointed out where the video was funny, discussed ideas on where to cut  and edit. He couldn¡¯t care less, he was quiet as he watched the bonfire reflected against her skin. Her mouth was moving,ughing, and he wanted nothing else but to kiss her.


    Her hair was covering the side of her face, he tucked them behind her ear and ran his fingers all the way through its length. Julie and her long hair was a fatalbination for him. He put his lips on her shoulder.


    She tilted her head towards him, slowly pulling her shoulder away. ¡°Nathan ¡­ what are you doing?¡± she asked calmly, and turned to him.


    He looked at her without flinching, ¡°Looking at you.¡±


    She looked away, her heartbeat was out of control. ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± she finally asked the real question.


    ¡°You want the truth?¡±


    Her heart was throbbing but she nodded.


    ¡°I wanted to see if it¡¯s true,¡± he said.


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°These feelings I have for you ¡­ the thing that made us so afraid to be alone together,¡± he waited for her reaction.


    She exhaled deeply, she was lost for words.


    He took her hand, ¡°Talk to me, we can talk about this.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s everything to talk about ¡­ I can¡¯t stop thinking about it, I can¡¯t sleep thinking about it,¡± he was frustrated.


    ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± She pulled her hand away, but he wouldn¡¯t let go.


    ¡°The truth ¡­ tell me the truth ¡­ I know you feel it too,¡± he was longing for her to tell him what he needed to hear.


    She looked down, something was clogging in her throat. She couldn¡¯t believe that it hade to this. He squeezed her hand, hoping she would ease his pain.


    ¡°We have to do this right, I¡¯m breaking up with her, Julie.¡± He stood up and pulled her in.


    ¡°And then what?¡± she folded her arms in front of her.


    ¡°And then we¡¯ll be together, don¡¯t you want to be with me?¡±


    She stood there silent, she wanted to be with him. She has been for a while, but it was something she knew would never happen. She shook her head, ¡°We can¡¯t do that to her, Nathan, I love her, I can¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°She cheated on me, I know you know that for a fact ¡­ and I didn¡¯t even care because I was too in love with you.¡±


    She was stunned by his confession, she felt a sudden chill, she hugged herself tighter. ¡°She loves you, she chose you, that¡¯s why she¡¯sing on Valentine¡¯s day ¡­ you can¡¯t break up with her, she¡¯ll be devastated.¡±


    He held the side of her arms, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I just said? I wish it was you that day at the bookstore ¡­ but it wasn¡¯t, and that¡¯s just how we¡¯re supposed to meet, and I¡¯ve never met anyone that I¡¯m sure I will never get tired of for the rest of my life.¡±


    He was saying what she was feeling, but she could never admit it even to herself. Her heart was swelling, she never met anyone she was sure to be the one for her either. Her head was saying ¡®no¡¯. She put her hand on his chest, it was pounding hard. ¡°I fell in love with you so hard that I wished I¡¯ve never met you,¡± tears started to fall on her cheek. ¡°Please don¡¯t put me against her, if I have to choose between you and Kelsey, I will choose her, I can¡¯t lose her.¡± There was a lump in her throat, a bitter truth she had to swallow.


    Nathan pressed his forehead against hers, he held her hand on his chest. ¡°It¡¯s not gonna be easy, but at least tell me you¡¯ll give it a chance ¡­ she will hate us, but then she will understand.¡±


    Julie shook her head, ¡°I can¡¯t do it ¡­ I can¡¯t,¡± she gently pushed him away. It was never an option for her. She stepped back, eyes swollen, her face wet with tears.


    He knew it was tears of struggle, she was fighting her own feelings. ¡°Are you going to let this go, just because I met her first?¡± he put it in and simple.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± he insisted.


    ¡°Stop ¡­ please, Nathan, I just can¡¯t ¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said and turned to leave.


    He rubbed the back of his neck, he expected it from her. He knew she needed a lot of convincing. He had said what he wanted to say. He let it be for the night, hoping tomorrow he¡¯ll have a better chance.

 Chapter 33 Surprise?

    Neither of them could sleep that night. Theyid on their own mattresses in silence, in the dark, pretended to be asleep. She got out of bed just in time to see the sunrise. She thought Nathan was sleeping, just when she inhaled the first morning breeze, he was already standing behind her.


    ¡°It¡¯s the best sunrise I¡¯ve ever experienced anywhere,¡± he said, startling her. She smiled. ¡°That¡¯s another reason why I brought you here ¡­ an ind getaway,¡± he added.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to be for me, I wish the circumstances were different.¡±


    Silence.


    He walked over to her, stood right behind her, he put his hands on the railing. She felt his breath on her hair, on her neck. He didn¡¯t touch her, but it felt like he was undressing her.


    He was having a moment. In his mind, she was the lover that he always wanted to bring to that ind. But she was still afraid of him, how she felt about him.


    ¡°I¡¯m dying to kiss you right now,¡± he whispered.


    She closed her eyes, she wanted him to kiss her, but thinking about it  made her feel like a fraud. He was leaning his face close to her, she panicked and turned around. It was a bad move. He aimed for her lips, she turned away.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do this ¡­ we can¡¯t do this,¡± she said.


    He buried his face in the curve of her neck. He never wanted anything he couldn¡¯t have that bad before. She touched his face, slowly removed herself away from him.


    ¡°I think we should do the videos, wrap up and go home.¡± she was ending the matter altogether.


    The videos were thest thing on his mind, but he forced himself to nod.


    She wasn¡¯t letting him in. She wasn¡¯t going to give him the chance to talk about it again. It was said, it was a done deal. Never. She thought. It¡¯s never going to happen. It was sad, but she can handle it. She¡¯ll do her job as best she can, she will have to move out of his house.


    They tried to make the videos, Nathan wasn¡¯t feeling it. Most of the footage was of his frowning face, sulking, tired and rejected. She will probably have to delete them. They weren¡¯t talking much other than trying to get through the morning. They loaded their stuff in the motorboat, they were silent the entire boat trip to Bhorma and slept all the way back to the vi.


    The truck driver had to wake them up when they arrived. They took a minute to sober up and unload their stuff from the truck. It felt like a hangover, they weren¡¯t even drinking the night before. They walked up to the vi in silence, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He pulled her hand. She turned, they stood looking at each other.


    ¡°Is this how it¡¯s going to be? Pretending like we don¡¯t feel anything for each other?¡±


    She didn¡¯t know how to answer that.


    ¡°Because I can¡¯t do it,¡± he said.


    ¡°You have to try.¡±


    ¡°Why? I don¡¯t want to. I don¡¯t need to.¡±


    ¡°You know why ¡­ you have to stop doing this, Nathan, ¡¯cause I don¡¯t think we can work together if we keep doing this.¡±


    He was stunned, she was determined to shut him out. ¡°This is ridiculous,¡± he rested his hands on his waist.


    Julie was not interested in prolonging the conversation. She shook her head, and turned to walk away. She had only walked a few steps when he decided to grab her arm and kissed her.


    She pped him so hard, it shocked her, she covered her mouth in horror. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry ¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to ¡­¡±


    He touched his face. He grimaced in pain.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she felt bad.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Before he could answer, a woman¡¯s voice startled them. ¡°I thought I heard someone talking ¡­ there you are!¡± Nathan¡¯s mother walked out from the vi and saw the whole ordeal. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± she asked. There was no answer to that question. It was evident where he got his Asian blood from. Lana Sommers was a sophisticated and elegant woman who had witnessed a quarrel, she was wise enough not to intrude.


    ¡°Mom ¡­ what a surprise? When did youe?¡±


    She went over to them in confusion. She hugged Nathan and touched his pped cheek without asking a question.


    ¡°Mom ¡­ this is Julie ¡­ the one I¡¯ve been telling you about.¡±


    Her eyes widened with an awkward smile, ¡°Julie ¡­ how nice to have finally met you.¡±


    Julie shook her hand, forced a smile even though she felt horrible after pping her son in front of her. ¡°Mrs. Sommers, I¡¯m sorry ¡­ we were just ¡­¡±


    ¡°Lana ¡­ please, call me Lana ¡­¡± she was weing despite the incident. She looped her arm around Nathan¡¯s. ¡°Please ¡­ no need to exin, I¡¯m sure everybody has their own problem.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you wereing?¡±


    ¡°It was ast minute decision, your father had a business trip, and your sister had Valentine¡¯s n with her boyfriend, so I thought I flew out here to see how you¡¯re doing,¡± she exined. She paused. She knew she had walked into an unfinished business. They walked up to the vi, neither Julie or Nathan was saying anything to each other. ¡°Sweetheart ¡­¡± she was going to say something when they heard running footstepsing from the vi.


    ¡°Surprise!!¡± Kelsey shouted from afar.


    Julie and Nathan looked at each other briefly, and looked at Kelsey to wee her.


    ¡°I was just going to tell you ¡­ your girlfriend is here.¡±


    Kelsey descended the stairs and ran towards them.


    ¡°She came with a nice young man too,¡± Lana added.


    A figure emerged following Kelsey. With his unbuttoned tropical shirt and short pants. He took off his sunsses, a smile bloomed on his face. Just the face she needed to see.

 Chapter 34 Saved By Preston

    She hugged Kelsey as she passed, and then lingered her tight embrace on Preston.


    ¡°How¡¯s my favorite girl in the world?¡± he put both arms around her and swayed her.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re here,¡± Julie said.


    Nathan had his arms around Kelsey but his eyes were on Preston.


    ¡°Trouble in paradise?¡± he sensed the hostility from the host.


    ¡°Please get me out of here,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°My n exactly,¡± he said with a naughty grin and kissed her forehead.


    Preston helped them put their stuff inside before excusing himself. ¡°You have a very lovely home here, Mrs. Sommers, but I need to check-in at my hotel and get some drinks with Julie ¡­ we have a lot of catching up to do.¡±


    ¡°Oh ¡­ but I hope you¡¯ll be joining us for dinner at Ardor? I¡¯ve arranged a nice private dinner for all of us there at 7,¡± she said.


    They were all looking at each other. Nathan¡¯s stare was sharply pointing at Julie.


    ¡°Of course ¡­ how could I say no to such an invitation, we¡¯ll see you at Ardor?¡± he kissed Lana on the cheeks.


    Letting him leave with Julie was thest thing he needed, Nathan grabbed her arm gently.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you at dinner,¡± she said smiling, their eyes locked for a second.


    ¡°We¡¯ll catch upter, ¡®kay babe?¡± Kelsey gave her a proper hug this time. Nathan looked away.


    **********


    Preston was staying at The Hard Rock Hotel. It was a slow afternoon, so he decided to have a few drinks there. He took out a pack of cigarettes, grabbed one with his teeth. ¡°You look like you need a drink,¡± he said and lit up his cig.


    She blew her hair with her mouth, threw herself on the corner seat.


    ¡°He looked like he was going to stab me or something ¡­ what happened? Did you sleep with him?¡±


    She looked at him in horror, ¡°No! I would never!¡±


    Heughed amused, but mostly relieved. ¡°Well ¡­ spill it out then.¡± He was ready for whatever¡¯sing out of her. As hard as it was, he was willing to learn to handle it.


    ¡°He tried to kiss me, and I pped him ¡­ and his mother walked in on us,¡± she covered her face with both hands.


    Heughed so hard that people were actually turning to look.


    ¡°He said he was going to break up with her, I told him not to ¡­ God ¡­ this is awful, do you think he¡¯s going to do it?¡±


    ¡°Not today,¡± Preston blew out a smoke, ¡°But he will,¡± he added.


    Julie didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°What are you going to do about it?¡±


    She has absolutely no idea. ¡°There¡¯s no way I can be with him, but he wasn¡¯t taking ¡®no¡¯ for an answer.¡±


    Preston nodded, ¡°Yeah ¡­ he got it bad ¡­ I know the feeling.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be alone with him, not with Kelsey around ¡­ or ever ¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± she held her head.


    Preston took her hand, ¡°Stay with me here ¡­ I¡¯ll be staying for two nights, I want to spend every minute with you.¡±


    She looked at him, ¡°Two nights? Why so short?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t stay long, I have things I need to do,¡± he looked away.


    She thought about it for a moment, ¡°Okay ¡­ I guess I can take my stuffter ande back here with you.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not gonna like that,¡± Preston sipped his drink with a smile.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stay at the vi with him sleeping with Kelsey in the other room, and his mom next to mine.¡±


    There was a bit of jealousy in her voice. She shrugged it off and ordered a drink. She wasn¡¯t going to let herself think about it any further.


    She held Preston¡¯s hand as they approached Ardor. The warmth of his palm calmed her nerves. Nathan was standing by the kitchen with his back on them. He had cleaned up, rolled his white T-Shirt sleeves revealing his wrists. He was giving orders to his staff, ran his fingers through his thick ck hair. Her heart pounded faster.


    He noticed theming in, he quickly looked away, pretended not to see them holding hands. Kelsey greeted them and escorted them to the balcony where it was reserved for their private dinner. Lana was already there, she had been talking to Kelsey while Nathan was organizing dinner. She was d when they came through the door, there was so much she wanted to know about her son¡¯s new group of friends, especially after what she saw that afternoon.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    They were engaged in small talks, Julie¡¯s eyes wandered through the ss door as she watched Nathan in her favorite state. Clean shaven, leading his staff, deciding on everything, she can even smell his cologne in her mind. Their eyes identally met when he looked up from the bar, she looked away.


    ¡°Julie ¡­ I¡¯ve heard so much about you, and I¡¯ve read all your reports, and the digital marketing you¡¯ve designed for Ardor ¡­ I have to say I¡¯m impressed,¡± Lana interrupted her thoughts.


    ¡°Oh, thank you, I happened to learn it at school fairly recently,¡± she replied.


    ¡°We¡¯re nning to open a coffee and eatery corner, thanks to her ¡­ Julie¡¯s been a great addition to our team,¡± Nathan joined in the conversation.


    Lana raised her eyebrows and smiled, ¡°That is wonderful ¡­ I hope you¡¯re nning to stay with us after graduation?¡±


    Nathan took a seat across from Julie, their eyes met again. She took a deep breath, ¡°That¡¯s the initial n,¡± she smiled nervously.


    ¡°So ¡­ what¡¯s the story with you and Kelsey?¡± Lana asked.


    A waiter came to pour some wine in their sses. ¡°We¡¯ve been best friends since we were in kindergarten ¡­ my parents were rarely home, so they let me stay at her house everyday after school ¡­ ¡¯cause we lived close by,¡± Kelsey answered the question.


    Julie nodded, ¡°And when my parents divorced when I was 12, I stayed at Kelsey¡¯s for weeks ¡­ it helped me a lot.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re basically sisters ¡¯cause we literally grew up together ¡­ we¡¯ve been through thick and thin, puberty, adolescence, all the weird phases ¡­ we always have each other¡¯s backs,¡± Kelsey added to that while Nathan never took his eyes off Julie. ¡°I love her to death,¡± Kelsey continued.


    Preston cleared his throat, ¡°Don¡¯t we all?¡± he lifted his ss, ¡°Let¡¯s cheers to that.¡±


    Julie blew a kiss to Kelsey to return her love. They all lifted their ss. Lana took a quick nce at her son who looked gloomier than when he first sat down. ¡°To friendship,¡± Lana sipped her wine.


    Nathan put on his best smile for everyone¡¯s sake, but he couldn¡¯t hide his disappointment at the end of the night when he learned Julie was staying with Preston for a couple of nights. He didn¡¯t want to see them off so he went to the kitchen to do something else.


    Preston and Julie were nning to watch some strange movie that night, one of the things they like to do together. But when Preston got out of the shower, Julie was already fast asleep on the bed. He turned off the light, tucked her in under the nket and kissed her cheek. He hadn¡¯t told her what he came there to tell her.

 Chapter 35 One Fine Day

    It was a good night¡¯s sleep she needed. Her sweet smile was back on her face the next morning. Her mood was lighter, and she couldn¡¯t wait to spend the day with Preston. He wanted to explore the ind with her and end the day at The Rockabillies. She took him to her favorite beach, favorite hangouts, a cool vintage clothing shop that Preston would love. Nathan Sommers was not in her mind that day.


    He didn¡¯t want to ruin her mood, so he held it for a while longer. The thing he was going to tell her will be hard to hear, as much as it was going to be hard for him to say. She wasughing at his jokes, mocked him as he was trying on funky clothes. Preston loved to shop. He had a wide collection of strange outfits that he can pull off easily. Julie was probably the only girl he knew who had the patience to wait on him while he shopped.


    She always chose the items for him, he always listened to her. She¡¯s the one he goes to for any advice, school, music, family, rtionships. For the past three years they¡¯ve been close, he had let her rule his life because he trusted her instincts. When she decided to leave after graduation, it was a wake up call for him. It made him realize how much he needed her, how much he loved her.


    She teased him for being such a yer with the girls, yet he was adorable as a puppy with her. She oftenplimented him on his good looks, not in a flirty way, more like a genuine admiration of how blessed he was in that department, and it made him blushed more than any pick-up line he had ever heard.


    She had a habit of smearing ice cream on the tip of his ¡®big nose¡¯ and kissed it off afterwards. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and take her away that day. Far away from Bhorma, away from Nathan Sommers.


    They end the day at The Rockabillies. Kelsey joined them with Nathan. They were holding hands, and Kelsey¡¯s arm was around his waist. The thought of them having sex the night before crossed her mind. Another reason why they could never be together.


    When Preston and Kelsey went to the bar to get some drinks, they were left in awkward silence.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep with herst night, if that¡¯s what you were thinking,¡± he broke the silence.


    She flinched, ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking about that, it¡¯s none of my business.¡±


    ¡°Well I just want you to know that ¡­ I can¡¯t stop thinking about you, Julie, pleasee home tonight,¡± he took her hand.


    She jerked her hand back and looked at her surroundings. He didn¡¯t seem to care if anyone had seen what he did. Before she could say anything, Preston and Kelsey were back with their drinks.


    ¡°This ce is awesome, I wish I¡¯d known about it before, I would¡¯vee here a long time ago.¡± Preston was enthralled by the ce. It was an easy subject to jump on and focused their attention to.


    Julie drank more than she usually does, the game of pretending was taking its toll on her. She didn¡¯t know how long she could do that to Kelsey. She was dying inside, hoping the drinks could mute her conscience.


    Preston was on his feet as soon as the drinks kicked in, the whole setting was too stimting for him. So he went to the stage, spoke to the manager and asked if he could go up and sing one song with the home band. They agreed. He went on the stage with a wide grin, greeted the audience as if he had done it a million times. Whenever he had a mic on his hand, up on a tform, he always got the audience¡¯s attention as he turned into a whole different person. The person she had a crush on when she first saw him.


    ¡°Alright ¡­ I just want to address this to a special girl here tonight ¡­ she¡¯s out in the back somewhere ¡­¡± he shields his eyes from the bright lights to search for Julie.


    Kelsey waved at him, ¡°Right here!¡± she shouted, and the light pointed to their table.


    ¡°There she is ¡­ my special girl, she loves this song so much, and I want to present this song for her. I hope you guys don¡¯t mind ¡­ she¡¯s not my girlfriend,¡± there were murmurs ofughter from the audience.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Preston chuckled, ¡°Yeah ¡­ no ¡­ she¡¯s not my girlfriend, she¡¯s more than that, she¡¯s the one I go back to time and time again ¡­ if you ever find someone like that in your life, I suggest you let them know how much they mean to you, and never ever let them go.¡±


    ¡°A,¡± Kelsey sped her hands together and pressed them on her chest. She leaned over to Julie and they embraced each other.


    ¡°Okay ¡­ so here goes ¡­ this one¡¯s for you, Julie.¡± He was sitting with an acoustic guitar and started singing.


    ¡°Half of what I say is meaningless


    But I say this just to reach you, Julia


    Julia, Julia, ocean child, calls me


    So I sing the song of love, Julia


    Julia, seashell eyes, windy smile, calls me


    So I sing the song of love, Julia


    Her hair of floating sky is shimmering, glimmering,


    In the sun


    Julia, Julia, morning moon, touch me


    So I sing the song of love, Julia


    When I cannot sing my heart


    I can only speak my mind, Julia


    Julia, sleeping sand, silent cloud, touch me


    So I sing the song of love, Julia¡±


    She was his biggest fan, she will always be. His voice mesmerized her, words went straight to her heart. She loved it when he sang to her, and when he sang to her in front of an audience, the moment was a different kind of experience for her. The audience enjoyed him so much that they asked him to sing some more. The night quickly turned into a mini concert of Preston Hicks.


    Looking at Julie¡¯s beaming face, and the sparkle in her eyes, Nathan turned around and left the room. He said he needed to get some fresh air, even though the venue was an open space. His head cramped, his chest pressured. He hated Preston and what he had with Julie.


    After the performance, they went their separate ways. Preston took Julie on a walk by the beach going back to his hotel. They were both tipsy but already nning on a nightcap at the hotel while enjoying weird movies they failed to watch the previous night.


    ¡°You were great ¡­ you¡¯re getting better and better,¡± she said.


    He held her hand. ¡°Thank you ¡­ that means a loting from you, I know how much you despise my singing.¡± Theyughed.


    ¡°How¡¯s your song writing going? I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t been keeping up with thattely.¡±


    Preston¡¯s expression turned dark, ¡°Actually ¡­ I¡¯ve been meaning to tell you ¡­ I got signed by a recordpany in Goldstone,¡± he said.


    Her eyes widened, ¡°Really? That¡¯s great, Preston, why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier? We should be celebrating!¡± she gasped in pure joy and hugged him. ¡°Congrattions! When did this happen?¡± she looked at him puzzled because he didn¡¯t seem to be overjoyed by it.


    He looked down and stopped walking, ¡°I¡¯m flying to Goldstone tomorrow ¡­ I won¡¯t¡¯ be going back to Gastonburry.¡± His voice was low, his usual yful charm was gone.


    She swung their hands, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be ecstatic over this?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he paused. ¡°I¡¯m quitting school, Jules, they¡¯re signing me up for the whole year, recording for three months and then promoting it, if it gains any recognition they might extend the contract, and then I have to make more music for them ¡­ I had a huge fight with my parents ¡­ I was supposed to be in Goldstone yesterday but I had toe here and see you first,¡± he continued.


    Julie covered her mouth with one hand, ¡°Oh my God ¡­ don¡¯t you realize this is the moment you¡¯ve been waiting for? You¡¯re finally getting that break you¡¯ve been working on! You¡¯re one step away from making your dreamse true ¡­ I¡¯m so happy for you!¡±


    A smile finally broke on his face, ¡°I suppose ¡­ if you see it that way,¡± he looked at her in adoration. She always made him feel better about himself.


    ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re nevering back to Gastonburry?¡±


    He lifted his shoulders, ¡°Not at least for a year ¡­ and see how it goes from there.¡±


    She curved a smile, looped her arm around his. ¡°So I won¡¯t be able to see you again for a year?¡±


    He didn¡¯t have the answer to that. She leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked slowly towards The Hard Rock Hotel. The walk was quiet.


    He felt warm drops on his arm and realized it came from Julie. He stopped. ¡°Hey ¡­ don¡¯t cry,¡± he touched her face.


    She tried to hold them back, but it was too hard. ¡°You¡¯re leaving me ¡­ I¡¯m sad,¡± her lips were trembling.


    ¡°No ¡­ don¡¯t say it like that, I¡¯lle back to you ¡­ I always do.¡±


    Someone was going to leave, it¡¯s only a matter of when. What happens after that never really crossed their minds until the time finally came. She forced a smile, ¡°You¡¯re gonna be a big star, I¡¯m sure of that, I might have to get a VIP pass before I can see you again,¡± it sounded silly but she firmly believed it.


    He blushed, she always gave the bestpliment. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that ¡­ but it would be nice to know that I¡¯ll always have you, no matter where we are in the world, we can still have this,¡± he took both her hands.


    She wrapped her arms around him, pressed herself against his chest. For a while, they stood there feeling each other¡¯s heartbeat with the sound of the waves in the background. They have taken for granted some of the times they¡¯ve been given for the past three years, they wanted to make up for that in onest night.

 Chapter 36 Hostage

    Their silence speaks more volume that night. They poured drinks back in the room, browsed through the movie selections they wanted to see. They put on the one they agreed on, not really caring what it was because their minds were wandering to ces that don¡¯t exist. A ce where they would go through life without each other by their sides.


    Sheid her head on his shoulder, stared nkly into the TV. He held her hand and yed with her fingers, something he will miss terribly. He took a deep breath.


    She remembered when she first saw him, his smile, his cheekyments. His yfulness, hisughs, his annoying ways to get her attention. Those dark blue eyes, and his beautiful face. She nced over to the tattoo on his chest, and she touched that ¡°J¡±. He looked down and shivered from her gentle touch.


    He turned to look at her. That was when she pulled him gently and pressed her lips against his. She closed her eyes, she felt his soft wet lips responding to the kiss, and pulled back to look into his eyes. He smiled, ¡°What was that for?¡± as if he didn¡¯t know.


    She leaned forward again, their face almost touched. They felt each other¡¯s breath. The fear of losing each other was weighing on their minds. Their lips touched once more, their tongues tangled, softly pulling and pushing. His breath was inside her mouth, even then she didn¡¯t feel close enough. She put her hands on his cheeks, kissing and kissing him, but that wasn¡¯t enough.


    She touched him, he gasped in surprise, he was already responding to the kiss and they froze for a fraction of a second. He saw it in her eyes, she wanted him this time. He cupped her hand and rubbed it against him, he was solid hard. He pushed her on the bed, his fingers undid her clothes while he was kissing her.


    The memory of that night came rushing back when he ran his mouth along her neck to her shoulder de. He pulled down her straps, unhooked her bra. She felt his kisses slowly going down to her breasts. She exhaled deeply, caressed the sides of his arm. He pulled up his shirt and hovered over her. His intense gaze captured her nervousness.


    ¡°Say it ¡­ say you want me to,¡± he said softly.


    She smiled shyly, ¡°I¡¯m half naked under you ¡­ you still want me to say it?¡±


    He moved closer, their faces touched. ¡°I want you to say it ¡­ tell me you want me to,¡± he didn¡¯t want any confusion this time.


    She nibbled on his lip, but he was waiting for her to say the words.


    ¡°Put the words in my mouth then, what do you want me to say?¡± she teased him.


    He had a mischievous look on his face, ¡°Okay ¡­ tell me you want my big hard cock ¡­¡±


    Sheughed before he could finish, ¡°I¡¯m not gonna say that!¡±


    He wasughing too, but his eyes were dazed, he was already making love to her in his mind. ¡°Come on, Jules, you¡¯re killing me here,¡± he pleaded.


    She cupped his face, pulled him closer, ¡°I love the way your eyes are looking at me ¡­¡± she said. ¡°I love you,¡± she added. ¡°I want you to ¡­¡±


    She needn¡¯t say anything else, half of his breath was inside her, she was overpowered by his kiss. He was unbuttoning both of their pants. He was takingplete control of the situation. It was a side of him that she wasn¡¯t familiar with. He wasn¡¯t Preston the cheeky friend that stole her heart away, not the rockstar she admired foolishly, he was the guy who made love to her whole heartedly. He was the first and the only one she had ever let in, and he made sure she enjoyed every minute of it.


    She burst into a million pieces in his wake, ignoring the danger of how it would affect her emotional attachment towards him. He wasn¡¯t done with her, not when it was thest night he was going to spend with her. Sadness and lust filled his eyes, with a tiny bit of hope that this physical bond would somehow change her mind. He tasted every inch of her, by the end of it, he was convinced that she had ruined him for everyone else he was going to be with.


    He kissed her forehead, they were panting and drenched in sweat. ¡°Come with me to Goldstone,¡± he couldn¡¯t help it.


    She kissed his lips, ¡°I just want to lie here with you for a while.¡±


    She snuggled in his arm, resting her face on his shoulder. His chest was moving up and down as he steady his breathing. They embrace each other in silence, savoring the pinnacle moment of their friendship, wondering what it might have changed for the other person, not daring to ruin it by saying a word.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    **********


    He woke up on an empty bed, his heart almost stopped. The breeze that came in from the terrace calmed him down. He got up and walked out without bothering to put anything on. Julie was sitting on the chair, wrapped in a white sheet.


    ¡°I thought you left,¡± he startled her.


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for the sunrise, it¡¯ll be up real soon.¡± She stood and went over to him.


    He wrapped himself up in her sheet, he felt her skin warm against him. ¡°Would you mind telling me what we just did?¡± he asked.


    She smiled and faced him, ¡°We were saying goodbye.¡±


    It was the saddest thing that has ever spoken between them.


    He clenched his jaw, ¡°No ¡­ I would never say goodbye to you.¡±


    She touched his stomach, ¡°Well, for now ¡­ goodbye for now.¡±


    He pressed his lips on her forehead, ¡°I love you.¡±


    She held him close, they both looked at the horizon as the sun was making its way up. She can hear his heart beating steady, and felt his hands caressing her back. Soon he will be gone, and she will have to go back to her reality without him.


    She started to giggle, ¡°I can feel you in my tummy.¡±


    Heughed, ¡°I just got up ¡­ we¡¯re standing naked against each other ¡­ don¡¯t me me.¡± He took off the sheet, she covered herself with her arms. ¡°I want to see you,¡± he took her arms away from her front. He ran his fingers through her hair, pulled some to cover her breast. He slowly slid his palm on her back, all the way to her bottom.


    She trembled from the cool breeze, the smooth of his touch made the hair on her body stand up. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she said, almost blushing.


    ¡°I love your body ¡­ I love looking at you like this,¡± he wrapped his arms around her. ¡°I love how it feels inside you ¡­ let¡¯s do it again,¡± he whispered in her ear.


    She shrugged with a smile, she didn¡¯t oppose it. The sheets were on the floor. ¡°It¡¯s really cold here, why did you drop the sheet?¡±


    He turned her around and hugged her from behind as she tried to get the sheets off the floor. She burst outughing, ¡°God ¡­ I can feel you on my butt ¡­ Preston!¡±


    Theyughed. He was tickling her in the spots where he knew was her weakness. She wriggled but he tightened his arms around her, and nibbled on her ear. ¡°Come on, while we¡¯re still naked, it¡¯s the practical thing to do ¡­ what do you say?¡±


    She was trying to control herugh, ¡°We shouldn¡¯t make this into a habit we can¡¯t break,¡± she said.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s toote for that,¡± he lifted her, brought her inside, and threw her on the bed. He stood over the bed looking at her naked body. He put both his knees on either side of her on the bed, and took his phone.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she covered her breasts.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking pictures of you ¡­ it¡¯s better than mental pictures,¡± he snapped a few shots of her blushing away from his camera. Heid beside her, took a couple of wefies of themughing down to their bare shoulders.


    ¡°Something to remember us by?¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never forget this day even if I try,¡± he put his phone back. He rolled over on top of her, ¡°So where were we?¡±


    She stretched her arms against his chest, he grabbed her by the wrists and pinned her arms above her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s just sex, right? Onest time?¡± she asked.


    He leaned closer to her, ¡°It¡¯s never just sex with you.¡± They kissed, and the rest was history.

 Chapter 37 Going After Kelsey

    She managed not to cry when she left his hotel room. She told him to take a shower as she left because she didn¡¯t want a sappy farewell that will make her weep the entire day. So they left it at that. The memory of theirst day together was to be remembered as something extraordinary and beautiful.


    When she arrived in front of Nathan¡¯s vi, she took a long deep breath to ready her for what¡¯s waiting. She took long, slow and dragging steps toward the house, expecting to see both Nathan and Kelsey for another awkward social situation. The house was quiet, she opened the sliding door from the balcony and stepped into the kitchen. There was only Nathan.


    ¡°Where¡¯s everybody?¡±


    Nathan sat on the ind stool, not looking his best. ¡°Kelsey ¡­ umm ¡­ she left.¡±


    She raised her eyebrows, put down her bags on the floor. ¡°Left where?¡±


    He looked down on the kitchen counter, yed with his phone then turned it off. ¡°She went back to Gastonburry.¡±


    Her heart sank. Kelsey wouldn¡¯t leave without telling her, and it wasn¡¯t even Valentine¡¯s Day yet.


    ¡°We broke up,¡± he added.


    She swallowed hard, ¡°What did you say to her?¡±


    He looked at her, ¡°The truth.¡±


    She waited for him to be more specific.


    ¡°I told her I knew about her affair ¡­ and that it didn¡¯t matter ¡­ because I¡¯m in love with you.¡±


    She fell on a chair, and covered her face with her hands. ¡°Oh my God ¡­ Nathan ¡­ why did you do that?¡± She felt like the ground beneath her had swallowed her whole, ¡°How did she take it?¡±


    Nathan shrugged, ¡°Bad ¡­¡±


    She grunted, ¡°Oh God ¡­ how bad?¡±


    He exhaled, ¡°Bad enough to call me all sorts of profanity ¡­ she yanked themp on my bedside table, threw it to my face ¡­ she missed, then she practically turned my bedroom upside down.¡±


    She held her head with both hands, it was worse than she thought.


    Nathan approached her and took her hand, ¡°Can we talk about us now?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t believe he was asking her that, ¡°There is no ¡®US¡¯ Nathan, don¡¯t you see? Especially now ¡­ I have to go back and fix this, why did you have to tell her that? Are you purposely turning us against each other?¡± she raised her voice.


    ¡°What? No! I was being honest, because I want to do this right ¡­ I can¡¯t lie to her and then be with you behind her back, I don¡¯t want that,¡± he defended his decision.


    ¡°We can¡¯t be together ¡­ she¡¯s already hating me now, I don¡¯t want to lose her, Nathan, I have to go and fix this.¡±


    ¡°If she loves you as much as you do, she will understand eventually ¡­ she hates us now but we can prove to her that it¡¯s real, that¡¯s all I¡¯m saying ¡­ I¡¯m willing to work hard for this, Julie, I¡¯m hoping you would do the same.¡±


    She folded her arms in front of her. She paced back and forth. Her breath was increasingly faster. ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to work harder than that ¡­¡± tears were swelling up in her eyes.


    He felt uneasy, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Her cheeks were wet, she pressed her lips together trying to calm her shaking body, ¡°Because I slept with Preston.¡±


    What she said had ripped his heart apart, his face drained of colors. ¡°Why?¡± was what came out of his mouth. His head was spinning, he couldn¡¯t wrap his mind around it.


    ¡°You would never understand my reasons,¡± her voice was barely audible.


    ¡°Were you drunk?¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡± his heart was breaking and it was all over his face.


    The look on his face felt like a knife through her stomach, she was about to lose everyone she cared about, all in one day.


    ¡°Oh ¡­ I get it ¡­ you did it so you cane back here and throw it on my face ¡­ is that how bad you want to get rid of me?¡±


    She can see tears starting to form in the corner of his eyes, she couldn¡¯t say a word, it was killing her too.


    ¡°I thought we had something worth fighting for ¡­ I guess you don¡¯t feel the same way,¡± he kept his voice calm even though he was burning inside. He turned to walk away.


    ¡°Nathan ¡­¡± she called out.


    He raised a hand, ¡°Don¡¯t ¡­ I can¡¯t even look at you right now.¡±


    He went to his bedroom and mmed the door. He felt queasy, his stomach couldn¡¯t handle it. The image of her making love to Preston while he was breaking up with Kelsey took its toll on him, he threw up in his bathroom.


    **********


    She had to leave. There was no other choice. There were still two more weeks of her internship but the damage was done, and she had to go back and try to save her friendship, if there¡¯s still anything left to save. She left Nathan a simple note saying ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± under his door. He didn¡¯te out to see her. She didn¡¯t me him.


    The eight hour flight to Gastonburry wasn¡¯t long enough for her to try and understand the situation she was in. One day she was surrounded by three people who loved her, and now she had no one.


    Arriving at her dorm was just as hard as arriving at the vi. She hasn¡¯t been in contact with Kelsey since that night at The Rockabillies, how much has happened since.


    She opened their dorm room and found Kelsey was sitting by the window, looking outside. Her face was wet with tears. She knew who wasing and didn¡¯t bother to look. She folded her knees and hugged them.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± her voice was trembling.


    ¡°I came to see how you are,¡± Julie stepped in and closed the door behind her.


    ¡°Well ¡­ you¡¯ve seen it,¡± she tried hard to keep her voice steady, she turned to look at Julie, ¡°Now leave me alone.¡±


    She exhaled deeply, ¡°Kells ¡­ let me exin.¡±


    ¡°No! You had that chance for months ¡­ you don¡¯t get to say anything now, it¡¯s¡¯ toote!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to tell you, how could I?¡±


    ¡°You could¡¯ve told me the truth, is that so hard to do? I thought you¡¯re the good one, Jules, always high and mighty, always do the right thing? You couldn¡¯t tell me the truth?¡±


    She didn¡¯t respond, she was trying to find the right words to say.


    ¡°I knew there was something going on with him, the least you could do was to tell me he was having a crush on you ¡­ instead, you lead me to believe that everything was fine, you even convinced me to leave Zach and made me look like an idiot when he dumped me over you ¡­ when you knew all along! How could you do that to me? Did you tell him about Zach?¡±


    ¡°What? No! Gosh ¡­ that sounds terrible when you put it that way, that¡¯s not what I meant to do, Kells, you have to believe me.¡±


    ¡°Well that¡¯s exactly how it felt like ¡­ I was so ready to patch things up with him, and then he gave me the cold shoulder in front of his mom, and then told me it was over because of you!¡±


    Julie rubbed on her eye, the argument was getting more intense. ¡°He found out about you and Zach ¡­ I don¡¯t know how, but he did, I told you that before ¡­ What do you expect him to do? I didn¡¯t tell him anything about Zach, I swear to God.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t care about your affair, I¡¯m in love with Julie, that was his exact words ¡­ he dumped me for you, God! How long has this been going on behind my back? Did you sleep with him on the bed that I slept in?¡±


    Julie gaped in horror, ¡°Is that what you think happened? There¡¯s nothing going on between us, Kells, he never touched me, he didn¡¯t even tell me about his feelings until the day before you came with Preston.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Kelsey fell silent, she had assumed the worst. When she heard what Julie had said, she couldn¡¯t decide whether it was better to know that Nathan was truly in love with her best friend. ¡°You didn¡¯t sleep with him?¡±


    ¡°No ¡­ it was awkward, but nothing happened ¡­ you know me better than that, I would never.¡±


    They can hear a pin drop for a moment. Kelsey¡¯s tears were drying up. ¡°Are you in love with him?¡±


    She folded her arms and lifted her shoulders. She couldn¡¯t say it, it was going to make her cry. They both sat in silence.


    ¡°Are you going to be with him after this?¡±


    Julie shook her head, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s never an option for me ¡­ he¡¯s your boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°Was.¡±


    Silent again.


    ¡°I slept with Preston.¡±


    ¡°You what??¡± her eyes were bulging in disbelief. ¡°How did that happen?¡±


    Julie sniffled, ¡°He told me he was leaving ¡­ I guess I was selfish, I wanted to be with him onest time, no strings attached, because he¡¯s ¡­ Preston,¡± she covered her face with both hands. ¡°God ¡­ how did it all get so messed up?¡±


    Kelsey took a deep breath, ¡°You sure you didn¡¯t do it to sabotage whatever it is with Nathan?¡±


    ¡°I told him about it, now he hates my guts ¡­ am I the kind of person who would do something like that?¡±


    ¡°You just did,¡± Kelsey knew her best friend more than anyone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s right anymore.¡±


    Kelsey stood up, she was not ready to console on her when she needed consoling herself. ¡°I¡¯m gonna take a walk ¡­ by myself ¡­ clear my head for awhile, it¡¯s been one hell of a weekend and it¡¯s not even over yet.¡±


    Julie nodded, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Kells ¡­¡±


    Kelsey looked away, pushing the tears that were about to pour out of her eyes again, ¡°I¡¯m sorry too.¡±


    Her apology was sincere, and she didn¡¯t even need to say she¡¯s sorry. It wasn¡¯t her fault. Nathan fell in love with her because she was the kind of girl he wanted to be with, Kelsey knew that all along. ¡°He never touched me¡± Julie said, and he was already falling head over heels for her.


    She loved Julie, and Julie loved her. The things they would do for each other are beyond what they expected. But this was different, they¡¯ve never had a problem with a guy before. She knew she had to not let the situation ruin her friendship, and the only way for her to do that was to be okay with it. Which was something that doesn¡¯t seem possible to do.

 Chapter 38 Your Biggest Mistake

    Despite making up at the end of their argument, Kelsey was distant. She kept to herself. Julie woke up the next morning feeling like a zombie, lost all sense of direction. She had toe up with a new n for her future. There was no way she could go back to Ardor.


    She made the report and told the faculty that she had to finish early because of a family emergency. The only time her family was useful for her. She didn¡¯t have the courage to contact Nathan, but to her relief, the faculty informed her that he had turned in the assessment sheet for her internship. She passed with flying colors. She texted to thank him, he didn¡¯t reply.


    Two weeks after she got back to Gastonburry, she started to prepare her final presentation. Finalized her internship report, created slideshow, crunching numbers, drew diagrams, and all the bits and details needed for the final show. She also submitted a new application through the University to find employment after graduation. She was back to her initial n before Ardor, before Nathan.


    Kelsey spent more time in sses, catching up with her study and hung out with her other friends. While Julie spent almost all her waking hours at the library.


    Julie called her mom to let her know the big day was approaching. She told her she had no doubt that she will excel in everything she does, and how proud she was that Julie was graduating early, while her newborn son was crying in the background. A son that she had always wanted.


    Her father gasped when he realized that it had been three and a half years since she left for college, never once they saw each other within that period. His new wife didn¡¯t like her very much.


    They both promised to show up for her graduation and offered her financial support to move on to the next level, the real world.


    Going through the days at UOG without Preston was nd. Even though she¡¯s used to go about her day alone, the reality that people were not liking her at that moment, with Preston being away, made her feel lonely. The only highlight of her month was the list ofpanies that requested an interview in response to her application. For obvious reasons, she chose the ones furthest away from everyone she loves, and not loving her back.


    The interviews were practical, they were all done via Skype. The respectivepanies sent her forms to fill through emails. She did six interviews in one weekend, she learned about each and everypany beforehand.


    She did multiple interviews for eachpany, each escting to a higher management level, none of them were Nathan Sommers. Her choices were narrowed down to twopanies by mid April. They waited for the final result of her presentation, and her overall grades at the end of her study. It was drawing to a close. She had even started looking for lodging arrangement in Lancaster, a big city miles away from everyone she knows.


    Kelsey responded with a simple smile and a supportive hug. She didn¡¯t beg her to stay this time. She still have a whole year to finish up, and nned to go back to her home town afterwards. Their long time friendship was inevitably going to be separated by distance. Everything was going to change.


    **********


    Two months after she left Bhorma, it was almost time for her final presentation. She had memorized every topic she was going to bring out to the panel, she had the whole thing mapped out in her head with only a thin stack of cue cards for a reminder. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to go through it again one more time, by herself, at the library. If Preston was there, he would be her most inattentive audience.


    She walked out of her dorm, stopped cold at what was waiting outside. He wore a long sleeved ck sweater rolled to his elbows, his hands were in his jeans pockets, feet crossed as he leaned on his ck BMW. He looked thinner than when hest saw him, he let his facial hair grow but his hair was clean shaven as usual. There was a faint smile on his face when their eyes met, it formed a single dimple on his left cheek.


    She didn¡¯t realize how much she missed that face until she actually saw it. ¡°Nathan ¡­ what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I came to see you ¡­ I need to talk to you, is that okay?¡± he sounded almost permissive.


    ¡°Sure,¡± her heart started to race.


    He opened the passenger seat, she can smell her cologne from a few feet away.


    ¡°Coffee?¡± he asked as he started to drive.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she cleared her throat, followed by an awkward silence.


    ¡°How are you?¡± he sounded easy and non-threatening.


    She looked out the window, ¡°I¡¯m a little nervous, actually, my presentation is tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh, did I catch you in a bad time?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay ¡­ you came all this way,¡± she assumed.


    He didn¡¯t reply.


    ¡°How are you?¡± she asked.


    He tilted one shoulder, ¡°I¡¯ve been better.¡± It didn¡¯te with an exnation.


    ¡°How¡¯s everything at Ardor?¡± She tried to avoid long ufortable gaps.


    He then told her it was doing well, that Andy had finished his training and they¡¯ve started the coffee and eatery corner as nned. He told it in a monotonous tone, not as enthusiastic as he usually was when talking about Ardor.


    ¡°I need you toe back,¡± he said at the end of it. ¡°It¡¯s just not the same without you.¡±


    She swallowed nervously.


    ¡°I know we haven¡¯t spoken in two months, that¡¯s why I came here, to talk to you in person,¡± his eyes were glued to the road, his hand clutched the steering wheel. ¡°What happened between us ¡­ I want to put it behind us, I need you professionally ¡­ As a business owner, I know you¡¯re the right person to keep within thepany, and that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing ¡­ I want you to work for Ardor.¡± It sounded rehearsed.


    She cleared her throat, ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ ttering ¡­ to tell you the truth, I haven¡¯t made any decisions yet, but there are twopanies in Lancaster that are waiting for my final result ¡­ I have made some deposits for an apartment there.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re moving to Lancaster?¡± he turned to look at her.


    ¡°It¡¯s highly likely.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°And Preston?¡± he had to ask.


    She was confused, she told him where Preston was and what he was doing.


    He furrowed his eyebrows, ¡°Wait ¡­ you¡¯re not with him?¡±


    ¡°With him? You mean dating?¡±


    Now everyone¡¯s confused.


    He pulled over to the side of the road, ¡°Okay ¡­ forget the coffee ¡­ can we talk here?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, I¡¯ve spent thest two months trying to figure out a way around it, thinking you were with him,¡± he demanded an exnation.


    She didn¡¯t know where to start, ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say ¡­ it¡¯s hard to exin.¡±


    ¡°Try me,¡± he said and braced himself for what¡¯sing.


    ¡°I thought you said we¡¯re putting it behind us?¡±


    ¡°Forget what I said, that¡¯s not what I meant ¡­ I tried to convince myself that I¡¯ll find someone like you again ¡­ someday ¡­ but I don¡¯t want to lie on my deathbed regretting that I didn¡¯t take that chance with you, one more time ¡­ but I need to know what the hell is going on with you and him ¡­¡± he didn¡¯t want to say his name.


    They looked at each other. She was still very much in love with him too. She thought it would just go away, but one look at him, she was back where she left off. ¡°I wasn¡¯t cheating on you, Nathan ¡­ we weren¡¯t together back then, you were with Kelsey ¡­ he was leaving, and I was a mess, I was sad, I was saying goodbye to him.¡± She hugged herself. ¡°I never thought there was any chance for us ¡­ not even now ¡­ and I hate that, because I didn¡¯t want anyone else ¡­ I still don¡¯t,¡± she confessed.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with now?¡± he took her hand.


    She shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s not okay ¡­ this whole thing changed her, she¡¯s not the same with me anymore, and I don¡¯t want to damage it any further.¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to be the person who breaks up their friendship, but it seemed the damage was done. He wasn¡¯t going to let it go. ¡°We¡¯ll wait ¡­ for the right time,¡± he said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know ¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her ¡­ I¡¯ll wait for the both of us, I¡¯ll do whatever it takes,¡± he took her hand again.


    He was earnest, she saw it in his eyes. No one has ever wanted her like that before. He was fighting for her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t think right now ¡­ my presentation is tomorrow, I¡¯ve promised to give my answer to thosepanies, I¡¯ve paid for that apartment in Lancaster ¡­ I just ¡­¡±


    ¡°But what do you want? You kept saying about all these ns you¡¯ve made, and how Kelsey felt ¡­ what about you? What do you want?¡±


    She wanted him, it was on the tip of her tongue, but she pressed her lips tight. She rubbed the side of her arms, the chill was prating through her sweater. She couldn¡¯t say it, it was balling up in her throat.


    Nathan leaned closer to her, he wiped her tears with his thumb. He¡¯d never seen her so torn, she always knew what to do. ¡°Your biggest mistake was telling me that you fell in love with me, and I swear to God I will hold that against you,¡± he smiled and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. ¡°I would love to kiss you ¡­ if you let me.¡±


    His eyes were piercing into hers, he didn¡¯t make any move, he waited for her to answer. Her heart beat was throbbing in her head, what would be of them if they kiss right then and there. There was no reason for her to reject him, no reason at all. She had every reason to let him kiss her, especially when she wanted him as bad as he did.


    She gently touched his face, and leaned closer to him. He kissed her palm on his cheek. Their faces almost touched.


    Even then, she took her time to think. But his eyes were glued to her lips. He went for the kiss. His arm quickly went under her arm, his handnded on the back of her neck. His other arm slid inside the back of her sweater, she felt his soft cool palm on her skin.


    She felt him, his breath, his mouth, his cologne, his hair, his ear, his neck. To be inside his warm embrace felt like home. Their kiss echoed inside the sound proof of his car. He pushed himself against her, she felt him getting more and more passionate into their kiss.


    She broke the kiss, pressed their forehead against each other. She had to stop it before he lost all control. He looked down, gathered himself and pulled back. He had to have her now, but he wasn¡¯t going to push it. ¡°I think I should take you back to your studying,¡± he said after getting back hisposure.


    She nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± She was blushing after that kiss.


    He took her hand and kissed it, he held it all the way back to the dorm, as if to tell her that she couldn¡¯t go back from that kiss. He put her hand on hisp, he smiled. Even when they arrived, he wouldn¡¯t let go of her hand. She just sat there and let him linger with her hand. He turned to face her, put his elbow on the steering wheel. She shied away from his stare.


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t let you go now? Not after that kiss,¡± he said.


    She smiled, ¡°It¡¯s still too soon ¡­ I can¡¯t see myself telling her about us, please don¡¯t tell me not to say anything ¡­ I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    He took a deep breath, ¡°Fair enough ¡­ I told you, I¡¯ll wait, however long you need.¡±


    She felt a bit at ease, ¡°Are you going back to Bhorma?¡±


    He nodded, ¡°First thing in the morning, I can¡¯t stay, it¡¯s pretty busy at Ardor right now ¡­ does this mean you¡¯reing back to Ardor?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t decided ¡­ if I am, I won¡¯t be staying at your ce.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    They paused and burst intoughter.


    ¡°Okay ¡­ okay ¡­ I understand ¡­ so you¡¯re thinking about it?¡± he was hopeful.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about it ¡­ I¡¯m gonna have to ask for a raise, though,¡± she joked.


    ¡°Name your price, I¡¯ll sign it,¡± he took it seriously.


    Sheughed again, ¡°I¡¯m kidding.¡±


    ¡°Well I¡¯m not kidding ¡­ can I kiss you again?¡± he couldn¡¯t resist.


    She giggled, shook her head, ¡°No ¡­ let¡¯s keep it professional, this is a job interview, right?¡±


    He squeezed her hand, he understood that good things don¡¯te easily. ¡°Okay, but don¡¯t take too long ¡­ please have mercy on me.¡±


    ¡°I have to go now ¡­ I¡¯ll let you know my decision.¡±


    ¡°When?¡±


    She put one foot out of the car, ¡°When I¡¯m ready.¡±


    He finally let her hand go, ¡°Okay.¡±


    She waved at him with a smile and closed the door. He threw himself back on his seat, he was not backing down now.

 Chapter 39 Graduation

    Her mom and dad came on her graduation day. They took pictures together, a pat on the back, a clumsy hug, a kiss on the cheeks, a congrattions. The three of them again after eight years. She was smiling the whole day.


    She told them about her ns, they told her how proud they were, shared onest hug and asked her to call them more often. That was pretty much the depth of their rtionship.


    After her parents left, Kelsey was there. They shared a long hug, enough to rece a thousand words they wanted to say to each other.


    Kelsey tilted her toga hat with a smile, ¡°I hope I¡¯ll look good in these next year.¡± Theyughed. ¡°I guess this is cause for a celebration ¡­ let¡¯s go get some coffee, my treat,¡± she added.


    They went to The Morning Brew, still in her toga and her diploma in her grip.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re leaving in a few days ¡­ do you realize we¡¯ve never been apart since we were four?¡± There was sadness in her face.


    Julie touched her hand, ¡°I¡¯lle visit as much as I can.¡±


    Kelsey shrugged, took a deep breath, ¡°Still ¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be the same.¡±


    They were silent for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve been distant for awhile ¡­ I¡¯ve been doing a lot of thinking, and I want to tell you something ¡­¡± They looked at each other. ¡°I¡¯m okay now ¡­ I really am.¡±


    ¡°Kells ¡­¡± She too has something to tell her.


    ¡°No ¡­ hear me out, please, I really am ¡­ I was with him for four months, and that was three months ago ¡­ and I was with Zach for half of the time I was with Nathan ¡­ I blew it, Jules, I really did.¡± She twisted her coffee cup with her thumb, she wasn¡¯t done talking, and Julie was listening.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ve always known he was too good for me.¡±


    ¡°No one is too good for you.¡±


    Kelsey curved one side of her lips, ¡°I wish that was true ¡­ I don¡¯t me him for falling in love with you, I wasn¡¯t truthful to him, and you were amazing ¡­ you¡¯ve always been amazing,¡± she smiled.


    Julie pursed her lips, ¡°Kells ¡­ I¡¯m not ¡­¡±


    Kelsey stopped her again, ¡°If you ever decided to be with him ¡­ please know that I¡¯m okay with it, and in a weird way ¡­ I¡¯m kinda d it¡¯s you rather than some stranger I don¡¯t know ¡­ ¡¯cause I know how good you are, and you deserve each other.¡±


    Julie hugged her, ¡°I love you so much, Kells ¡­ I hope you know that, you deserve to have someone good too, I love you more than anything.¡±


    Kelsey raised her eyebrows and smiled, ¡°And I love you more than anyone too.¡±


    They held back their tears andughed.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s¡¯ not talk about that again, I want to talk about our ns for the next couple of days,¡± Kelsey said.


    **********


    Sixteen years of sisterhood was about to be tested by distance, the idea of separation was enough to make them cry all night after a quiet drinking session they had in their dorm room. Onest slumber party. They even fell asleep on the same bed in each other¡¯s arms. Sisters from a different.


    They were sobbing uncontrobly at the airport, and promised each other to stay in touch. Hoping that living separately won¡¯t change much of their rtionship. But everything muste to an end eventually. If it¡¯s not a job, it¡¯s a rtionship that ultimately will separate them.


    She sat in the airne, still lingered in her thoughts of everything that¡¯s happened in the past year. How quickly things changed. She hasn¡¯t spoken nor texted Nathan since thest time they met. She hadn¡¯t told him her decisions yet, she figured she would just tell him in person.


    She enjoyed watching him from afar when he wasn¡¯t aware of it. She sat on the balcony with all her luggage stacked under the stairs. Ardor was pretty busy in the afternoon during coffee and tea time. She waited until somebody finally noticed her and told Nathan about it.


    The look on his face was priceless when he turned to find her there. His whole entire being was lit up to greet her. He walked out to the balcony with a wide smile. ¡°You¡¯re here?¡±


    She lifted her shoulders, ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t tell me this by phone or text me?¡± he walked over to her.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I wanted to tell you in person ¡­ I¡¯ve cancelled my apartment in Lancaster, and I¡¯ve rented a ce here, not far from your vi ¡­ it¡¯s a small ce but ¡­¡±


    Nathan chuckled, ¡°You can always stay with me, you know that? I have an extra room, rent free.¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°I know, thanks for the offer, but I¡¯d love to have a ce on my own ¡­ I do need a liftter,¡± she pointed to her luggage. ¡°These are only half of it, I shipped the rest by boat.¡±


    His eyes were sparkling, he was agreeing to everything she said as long as she was there and back to working at Ardor. He was willing to work on the rest. ¡°Fine ¡­ I¡¯ll take you there, coffee?¡± he offered. She nodded smiling.


    **********


    Her new apartment was a simple studio with a foldable sofa bed. It was a bedroom sh living room with a little kitchen in the corner and a two seated table for dining, a sliding door to a narrow terrace and a tiny bathroom.


    ¡°That¡¯s not even enough for your book collections,¡± Preston said from the other end of the video call.


    ¡°Nathan offered to store all my books at his ce ¡­ which I¡¯m a bit relieved, ¡¯cause they¡¯re shipping it as we speak and I don¡¯t have anywhere to put them,¡± sheughed lightly.


    ¡°Hmmm ¡­¡± he responded.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the ¡®Hmmm¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to let him mauled you in his kitchen now? Sexing you up while preparing meals together?¡±


    Julie frowned and turned the camera back to her face, ¡°No ¡­ that¡¯s why I¡¯m renting this ce, I¡¯m not starting a rtionship with him ¡­ I¡¯m just working for him.¡±


    ¡°For now ¡­¡± Preston hung his face on one hand with a sulking expression. ¡°How long do you think that willst?¡± he was skeptical.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know ¡­ it depends.¡±


    ¡°Depend on what?¡± his stare pierced through the camera.


    She was amused by his jealousy, ¡°Depends on how good he is in sweeping me off my feet, I guess, ¡± sheughed.


    Preston rolled his eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear the details ¡­ there are limits to what I can tolerate.¡±


    ¡°There are no details to share ¡­ what about you? I wanna hear about you,¡± she turned the conversation around.


    And just like that, they started their new normal. Preston had finished recording his first album. He was going to promote the album through small performances on radios and public venues with the help of his new band that hisbel appointed for him.


    A few months after that, people started to y his songs in the restaurants, department stores, in their cars. Within a year, he was recognized by the public, not only from his talent and his music, but also his good looks and unique persona.


    He was on every music magazine, he gained hundreds of thousands of followers within that year alone. He was worshipped by women, young and older. Preston Hicks was a rising star but he never failed to keep in touch with his best friend on a regr basis. She has always been, and always will be the person he goes to for everything.

 Chapter 40 Epilogue

    She wouldn¡¯t let me take her out on a date. She wouldn¡¯t let me kiss her, or touch her. Three months after she came back to Ardor, she went ind hopping with Kelsey on her 21st birthday. I wasn¡¯t invited, obviously. I couldn¡¯t sleep that night, wondering if she was going to get wasted and ended up with some strange guy, willingly or unwillingly. There¡¯s no other girl that has kept me up all night as often as she did. For all different kinds of reasons.


    But to end up with a strange guy was not the problem with her, it was only that one guy. I hate him. He calls her much too often for my liking. They would talk for hours, it burned me, and I couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    The almost kisses we had was driving me insane, but I¡¯ve promised her I¡¯d wait however long it takes. I think she was torturing me on purpose.


    Six months after she was back, she finally let me in. We kissed. Every kiss was better than thest. I love kissing her. We kissed and kissed until our mouths were dry, she wouldn¡¯t let me go further than that. And that was the start of our rtionship. I respected her choice, even though I was dying to undress her, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it every time we went out on a date, I thought that would be the time. But she wasn¡¯t letting her guard down, even after all those time, she needed more time to trust me.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    She¡¯s brilliant. Damn! She¡¯s so much smarter than me. After a year working for Ardor, she can single handedly run the whole operation without me. She does everything better than me. We made our first million within a year of her working there, and I took her out to Uomo to celebrate.


    That was where we made love for the first time. Her skin on my skin. Her breath and my breath as we move simultaneously as one. She had me, all of me. It was better than how I¡¯d imagined it.


    We woke up to the sunrise and reminisced about the first time we were there just over a year before. Weughed about it. How d I was that I didn¡¯t give up on her. It was the first time I told her I love her, and she said it back to me, and we made love again and again and again.


    A year after we were together, Preston came to visit. We had our first major fight before his arrival. He always gets the best of me. I couldn¡¯t block the image of her naked body tangled up with him. He was her first, and he will always be that person for her. I couldn¡¯t ept it. I wanted him out of our rtionship, out of our lives. No matter how hard she assured me that they were only ¡®friends¡¯, and what happened between them was never going to happen again, I just couldn¡¯t let it go.


    She pped me for saying a totally inappropriate usation over my jealous rage. I deserved it. I begged her for forgiveness. I even got down on my knees. I didn¡¯t want to drive her away and be the reason for her to findfort in him. Not him. And we made out, a super hot and steamy love making after our first big fight. We were all over the kitchen floor, kicked around a few chairs, grabbed and held on the cabs, we were loud and nasty.


    I love the way she yanked my hair when we had sex. The way she squeezed gently around my neck, and her tiny love bites on my shoulder. I made her feel good, she said. And that aspires me to make her feel better and better every time.


    In the back of my mind, there¡¯s always this tingling wondering if I was better than him in pleasuring her. That thought was nesting in my brain like a splinter that would kill me one day. Of course I never asked her, unless I was willing to get another p. And he was bing a celebrity. His face was all over the media. When he was rumored to have dated a series of super hot celebrities, he was still regrly on the phone with MY girlfriend!! What a blow on my ego, huh? I can¡¯t even count how many fights we had over that guy, even when he¡¯s not around.


    It¡¯s not so much what they did together before she was my girlfriend. It was the way he sang for her in his concerts that she watched on youtube. The songs he wrote for her, about her, about his feelings for her, and about that dreadful night they were together. I could just kill him for rubbing it on my face like that.


    I hate him. I hate them for whatever they have going on between them. But I can¡¯t deny the sex we had afterwards were magical. The way she convinced me over and over again that I was the one she loves was pulling me deeper into her grip. She loves me, though, I felt it. She treated me good, she put me first and I put her first. Her gentle touches, her kisses, her kind words, she¡¯s got me wrapped around her finger.


    Other than that guy, we rarely had any fights. She¡¯s so cool with everything. She doesn¡¯t nag about small things. She doesn¡¯ty out rules like most girls I dated. She never pointed out my mistakes or brought out the same problem in every heated argument. She even bought a mermaid tail for our bedroom forey. I don¡¯t know how she knew my secret turned on for mermaids. I begged her to never cut her hair because it turned me on every time she let her hair down. I guess she figured it out.


    She¡¯s the one. I guess I¡¯ve known it all along. There¡¯s no one else for me. Even my mom fell in love with her. She kept asking me when I was going to pop the question when we were well in our second year of rtionship. I knew I had to wait much longer, she would reject me t out. She told me once that she never saw herself being married before she was thirty. God, I don¡¯t think I can wait that long. So I did the next best thing, I asked her to move in with me, and she agreed.


    She made the ce feel like a real home. I love her, madly. The time wille, when she¡¯s ready, I will make her my wife.


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