Chapter 76
I excitedly put on my jacket as I practically jogged down the stairs. It had been so long since I rode behind Julian on the motorbike. The memory of the first time he took me there was engraved in my memory. I remember how protective he was of me. He knew how much I hated being in crowded places, so he made it his number one priority to make sure I was comfortable. He didn’t know at that time that his presence was enough to make me feel safe.
“Somebody is ecstatic.” Julian grinned as he greeted me at the end of the stairs.
“I am!” I exclaimed, taking my helmet from him. One of the things that made my heart soften when I came back was how he kept everything I left behind. For years, he held onto some things I had deemed worthless, hoping I would come back, even when there was no sign that indicated the possibility of my return.
The kind of hope and optimism he had inside of him was unbelievable. Even after I returned, I wasn’t exactly the nicest towards him. As I looked back at the way he used to act, I was grateful that he didn’t give up on me.
Before I got on the motorbike, Julian took the helmet from me and put it over my head.
“You look adorable with the helmet on,” he commented, making me smile.
“And you look hot with a leather jacket on.” My eyes lingered on him as he secured the helmet over my head.
“Should I ditch the suits and start wearing more leather jackets?” I loved the smirk that adorned his lips.
“You look hot in everything,” I said, opening the lid of the helmet. Julian took me by surprise when he took off my helmet and crashed his lips against mine. I smiled through the kiss as I placed my hand over his cheek. He placed one hand on my waist and gave it a slight squeeze, making me squirm a little.
I was in love with him.
I was in love with every single thing about him.
After our short make–out session, he helped me put on my helmet again, then he put on his and drove off to where the race was held.
I held onto him tightly as the wind crashed against our bodies. Despite how heavy my jacket was, I was still cold, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to be with him. I wanted to spend the night with him in a world he loved. I knew how much he loved racing and in spite of the fear that took over me whenever he was on the bike, I still wanted him to do whatever he loved.
We reached our destination and Julian parked his bike. Once we stopped racing the wind, the coldness that froze my bones lessened.
“Your cheeks are flushed. Are you cold?” Julian asked me as I set my helmet on the motorbike.
“Yeah, a little,” I replied, rubbing my hands against my pants.
“Give me five minutes.” He pecked my lips before walking away. I wrapped my jacket tighter around myself and waited for Julian to reappear.
When I looked around me, I realized that the place was still the same. It was like I had just left yesterday.
“Emily! Is that you?” I looked to my right and found Tanner, Julian’s best friend, coming towards me with a huge smile on his face. I hadn’t seen him in years.
“It’s me!” I grinned as the two of us hugged. I didn’t bother correcting him when he called me ‘Emily‘, because lately, I had been feeling like Emily. Six years ago, I hated Emily because I viewed her as a weak person, a punching bag that got mistreated by everyone. That was the reason behind the emergence of Amelia. She needed to take over because Emily wasn’t going to survive on her own.
Now, things were different. Amelia taught Emily how to be strong. She played her role perfectly and it came to an end upon finding out how Emily was still loved, appreciated, and wanted.
“How have you been!? I haven’t seen you in years!” he exclaimed as we pulled back.
“I’m all good. It’s been a while I know,” I said. “How are you?”
“I’m good. I’ve got myself a girlfriend finally,” he proudly said, making my smile widen.
“Got you hot chocolate,” Julian said as he came from behind. “Hi, Tanner.”
I took the hot chocolate from my fiancé and studied the two men. I could tell that there was some sort of… estrangement. What happened? They used to be close. Tanner only muttered a quiet hello and diverted his attention away from Julian.
“Tanner, is your girlfriend here tonight? I would love to meet her!” I attempted to break the tension.
1/2
Chapter 76
“No, she’s not,” he replied. “She is in New York for the week.”
“It’s good to see you, man. Maybe we can talk later?” I looked at Julian and saw clear hesitation on his face.
“Yeah, maybe. See you later.” I watched as Tanner walked away and I looked at my fiancé in confusion.
“What was all that about?” I wondered, sipping my hot chocolate that was terribly needed.
“I had been a shitty friend,” Julian sighed as I leaned against his motorbike. “After you left, he tried to reach out more than once. He was a good friend. A great one actually. He tried to help me out and get me to go out, but… not only was I not responsive, but the day I decided to respond I fucked up.” It was easy to detect the shame Julian felt.
“What did you do?” My question was free of judgment. I just wanted to know what he had done to help him fix what had been broken.
“One time he showed up at my place and tried to get me to go clubbing with him. I told him I didn’t want to, but he was persistent, so I lashed out and said terrible things. I told him to leave me the fuck alone and it wasn’t my fault that a player like him couldn’t understand the pain I was in. Along with other shitty things.” I grimaced at what he told me.
“Have you tried reaching out?”
“Too ashamed to do so,” he mumbled.
“Listen, you’ve got a great opportunity tonight. Seize it. Go talk to him. I’m sure he’s going to forgive you.” He was once his best man and I knew how close they were, so I had a strong feeling that their friendship could be salvaged. I didn’t like seeing it go down the drain like that.
“Should I do it now?” he asked me, seeming lost.
“When is your race?” I asked.
He looked at his watch then said, “Thirty minutes.”
“Then wait. You wouldn’t want anything to interrupt your conversation with him.”
He nodded, then leaned in to peck my lips. “I’m the luckiest guy to have somebody like you in my life.”
I blushed at his words and my hold on the cup tightened slightly. Julian positioned himself beside me and I rested my head on his shoulder. I extended the cup towards him and he took it from me, taking a sip. It was our habit. Neither of us could drink anything without letting the other taste it.
“Still cold?” he wondered as he gave me the cup back.
I shook my head, “Not really. The hot chocolate did its magic!”
He chuckled, wrapping an arm around my shoulders as he kissed my head.
Twenty minutes later, Julian and I headed to the front, where the race was held. I watched as he looked around, not sure what he was exactly looking for.
“Can you stay on your own?” he asked.
“Of course! You’ve got nothing to worry about,” I assured him. I gave him a good luck kiss and stood in the front, among the crowd.
I cheered for him once he drove off. Despite the nervousness I felt inside of me, I did my best to push it away and have fun. I reminded myself that Julian knew what he was doing and there was nothing to worry about.
I was aware of how happy he felt whenever he was on that bike, so I wasn’t going to talk him out of something he loved because I was scared that he might hurt himself.
My talented fiance easily won the race and once he took off his helmet people moved towards him to congratulate him. I was about to do the same too as their sudden movement moved me to the back of the crowd instead of being at the front like I originally was. But just as I started moving. strong hands held me back and I felt somebody clamp their hand over my mouth, preventing me from screaming I tried to get anybody’s attention, but nobody was looking at me. I tried kicking, but whoever had a hold on me was so strong that it was impossible for me to move.
